Anything But Mine
by WitchyVampireGirl
Summary: It was the summer before their senior year of college; Edward wanted one last summer of fun and relaxation, Bella was running from the pain of the last few months. What they found was everything wanted and so much more. But will it last past the summer or fade like the setting sun?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I'm back! Who missed me? I know I missed you all. Here is a little something that I've been working on. The title and the story has been inspired by the Kenny Chesney song Anything But Mine. Please check it out as well as the video.. I got soo much inspiration from it!**

**So much love to my team of ladies who pre-read for me: Dawn, Mandi, Nikki and Sandy. You ladies make me smile! To the wonderful Miss Kat.. thanks for waving your red pen and making it better! *mwah***

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or its characters. What I do own is Anything But Mine on my ipod and an unhealthy obsession with the song... ENJOY!**

**Ch 1**

**EPOV**

The plane broke through the clouds as we began our descent into the Wilmington Airport and I watched the fluffy clouds pass as we cut through them. The anticipation I felt simmering just below the surface bubbled up and ratcheted up several notches. The stress of the last school year melted away as we drew closer to the one place I considered my home away from home.

Save for a few summers, I had been coming to Wilmington, North Carolina since I was ten. I loved hanging out with my Uncle Marcus, he was the odd man out our family, a perpetual bachelor and made no apologies about that fact. My mother was forever trying to get him to settle down, even now that he was in his late fifties. He brushed her off and continued to do his own thing. I loved that about him. His carefree spirit rubbed off on me. If Mom only knew half the shit I did when I visit him, she wouldn't have let me keep coming.

There was the summer we built a go-kart and entered it into the beach races. The poor thing didn't last too long, I crashed it on the first turn and ended up with a major knot on my forehead. How my mom believed I walked into a wall, I'll never know.

When I grew older, he guided me through other rites of passage; he gave me the "real" sex talk, complete with do's and don'ts and a pack of condoms at sixteen, my first tattoo at eighteen, mom flipped her lid and bitched him out for that, and he was there for my first drink when I turned twenty-one. The following morning, he took me out for the greasiest breakfast ever known to man when I still felt drunk.

Uncle Marcus was the closest I had to a father, mine had died when I was young. I had fuzzy memories of him at best. It was my mom's idea to send me to Marcus as she felt I needed a male role model in my life. Even when I was older and she married Carlisle, I had developed such a bond with Marcus that she continued to send me down to visit. Now my summer didn't seem complete unless I spent some time with him.

A low whimper from next to me dragged me away from my memories and I looked over at my roommate, Jake, who sat next to me. His hand closest to me was clutching the arm rest and the other was squeezing the hand of his boyfriend, Mike.

"I fucking hate landings. I always feel like I'm going to hurl," he moaned as he plane steepened its decent.

"It will be over in a few minutes, babe," soothed Mike.

I looked away and chuckled at them. One would find it odd that I was friends with them, but fate pushed us all together. Jake had been my roommate freshman year and once he got over the fact that I was happily straight, he stopped hitting on me. It was then that I learned that Jake was a closet sports nerd, and when we bonded over our mutual love of sports we were inseparable. I was witness to him falling in lust, then in love with Mike after a Greek Rush frat party later that year.

I helped him analyze every word and action he observed from Mike until one night I dared him to ask Mike out. I worried I was growing a vagina with all our feelings talk and had to take desperate action. It took a few days, but he grew balls and asked him out. They had been a couple ever since. Now that they were a very happy and sickly sweet couple, they were making it their mission to pair me off.

Jake was bound and determined to find me a summer romance to allow me to sow my wild oats. I just wanted one more summer of relaxation before senior year, graduation and having to be a _real_ adult in the big bad world. I wanted one last summer of fun.

Marcus was more than thrilled to have my friends tag along, "the more the merrier" was his motto and it showed when he picked us up. He greeted Jake and Mike as if they were long lost friends. When he finally hugged me, I held on a bit tighter, I felt as if I was home.

"Good to see you, Edward. Glad you could come down." His smile told me he meant every word.

"You know there isn't any place that I'd rather be." I hoped he could hear the sincerity in my voice. "Summer isn't summer until I've been here."

He laughed and threw the last of the bags into the back of his black SUV. The trip from the airport to Marcus' house was a quick twenty minute drive. He lived on the Cape Fear River and to me there was no better sound than the rush of the water to lull you to sleep. His modest four bedroom house was too big for him alone, he always said it was so I had no excuse not to come and visit.

The master bedroom on was on the top level and the other three bedrooms were in the basement. He helped us unload our bags and determine who was sleeping where. Jake and Mike took the larger room with the bigger bed and I was on the other side of the basement. That way I didn't have to worry about hearing them. I had walked in on them too many times and I'm way too familiar with their junk for my own comfort. I tried my best to limit my exposure to it.

"I'll leave you to get settled in. I was thinking of taking you to Maggie's for dinner, how does that sound, Edward?"

My ears perked up at the mention of my favorite place to eat.

"Hell yes!" I turned to look at Jake. "You will die when you taste one of her shakes, they make the ones at Groucho's taste like sawdust." I rubbed my stomach at the idea of gorging myself silly at Maggie's.

When we had all agreed on Maggie's Marcus left and I looked at my friends. "Boys, get ready for the best summer of your life!"

Later that night as we lazed around, our stomach's full of greasy burgers, salty fries, and the best chocolate shakes this side of the Mason-Dixon Line, I let myself contemplate living here full time. I had one more year before I graduated with my degrees in Education and Mathematics. I knew that my mom would like it if I went back to Minnesota to teach. That had always been the plan when I got my scholarship for Northwestern. But lately I'd been thinking more and more about coming to the one place I had always felt was home to me. I had looked to see if there were any student teaching assignments close to Wilmington, but unfortunately there were none. So, I had decided to do a little investigation into teaching positions and what else I could find in the job market for after graduation. I knew better to place all my hopes on coming down here to work, but I couldn't help but entertain the idea. There was just something about being here, close to Marcus and in North Carolina that spoke of being home at last.

**A/N: Ok.. The chapters will be short-ish.. between 800- 1500 words. They will alternate POV. I'll post twice weekly- Mon and Thur. I have a group on Facebook where I'll post teasers every Saturday-come join us- Witchy's Potions and Notions. You'll be able to see the AMAZING banner done by beegurl13! Now.. you know the drill.. leave me some love.. I want to hear your thoughts!**

**Ohh to you Seattle Express fans.. did you catch the nod to it? If so.. tell what it was!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: First let me say how floored and grateful I was for the responses to this little story! YOU GUYS MAKE ME SMILE! Next- the little nod to Seattle Express was having Mike and Jake as a couple. You all seemed to like this unique pairing I decided to bring them back. **

**Love to my team of ladies: Mandi, Nikki, Dawn and Sandy who help me make sense of the voices in my head and to Kat for wavig her magic beta pen. *mwah***

**Ready to hear from Bella? ENJOY!**

Ch. 2

BPOV

"There they are!" I shouted as I pointed at my Aunt Cynthia and my Uncle Liam who were waving their hands wildly over their heads. I waved back to let them know we saw them as Alice and I weaved through throngs of people to get to them.

"Bella! Oh my goodness, you are so beautiful!" She grabbed me and wrapped me up in a warm hug and I knew I'd made the best decision to come down to see her. It had been far too long.

"Don't hog her, Cyn. Come here, pumpkin, give your uncle some loving." I giggled as I was swept up in his strong embrace.

"I missed you too, Uncle Liam." I kissed his cheek and inhaled his deep, ever-present scent of warmth and sunshine.

When he had set me down and my equilibrium had returned, I faced Alice and made introductions.

"Alice, this is my Aunt Cynthia and Uncle Liam. Guys, this is Alice, my best friend and roomie at school."

Cynthia clasped Alice's hands with a welcoming smile. "It was so nice of you to come with Bella."

Alice blushed. "It was no biggie. I was glad to come. Bella speaks so highly of you two, I feel like I know you already."

Liam gave her a quick shoulder squeeze when my aunt finally released her. "Well, welcome to North Carolina, ladies. Let's get your bags and then head on home."

The car ride was quiet, like they knew I needed to take some time to reacquaint myself to being back. It had been close to seven years since I last visited my aunt and uncle at their place. For a several years, I had been coming down to see them for at least a week each summer. The trip out east was always the highlight of my summer. They were my safe haven when mom and dad were constantly fighting. When the inevitable divorce happened, it was here that I ran to, just to get away from it all.

The real sad part, there was no good reason why I stopped coming down here. It was like… BAM! All of a sudden, years had gone by without visiting them. I felt awful for it, even more so when they showed up in Seattle when I graduated high school. But, they hugged me, told me they loved and missed me and reminded me that I was always welcome to come back. I really tried to get back the summer after freshman year, but mom moved again, money was tight, and I hated to bother dad for traveling money. After all, Cynthia was Renee's family, not his, and he was barely on speaking terms with her. So I did my best to keep in touch with them with weekly phone calls.

When things went down a few months ago, it was Cynthia that offered, no, she demanded I come down and spend the entire summer with her. She sent money for the ticket so there would be no arguments. She even suggested I bring a friend. Alice and I were already thinking of doing a little summer trip and when I brought up my aunt's idea, she jumped on board. When the last final was over, I threw my clothes in a couple of suitcases and high tailed it to the land of relaxation and sun.

"We're home, girls." Cynthia's voice cut through my musing and I focused once more on my surroundings. Inhaling deeply, I caught the scent of salt in the air as I gazed at their house. It was a tan two-story house that sat on top of a hill and had a beautiful wraparound porch that over looked the ocean. That porch was the perfect place to sip coffee and think. Just seeing the house made me smile and caused the tension in my body to seep away.

"I'm so sorry that Jane couldn't be here," stated Cynthia. She looked behind her and into the back seat where I sat.

"Don't be. If given the chance, I'd spend the summer in France too." We both laughed.

"Who's Jane and why is she in France?" asked Alice.

"She's my cousin, their daughter, and she got a summer internship. She is studying to be a gourmet baker and got invited to some hoity-toity French institute. I'd try and pronounce it, but I'd end up sounding like I had a hair ball."

Everyone laughed and Cynthia went on to explain that Jane would be staying on the coast in Nice and would even be working in Cannes. My mind wondered off again as Alice and my aunt talked about France. I knew Alice was dying to make it there one day to study all the French artists in the Louvre. Her room in our apartment was covered in reproductions of all the paintings she wanted to see.

I stayed in my own little world as we unloaded all the bags and Cynthia showed us to our rooms. It wasn't until I turned around and saw my aunt on the bed that I realized I had been zoned out. She gave me a soft smile and patted the space next to her on the bed.

"Come sit, Bella. It's been so long."

The second I sat next to her, her warm arms wrapped around me and I let go. All the anger, sadness, and fear I had been storing up over the last several months poured out of my like a rain storm. She said not one word, but just rocked us from side to side. Her hand ran up and down my back in nonsensical patterns that calmed me. Not once did she spew some meaningless platitude about how things will get better. She simply held me as I cried.

When the last of the sobs and tremors ceased, she pulled back and let me wipe my nose and eyes. Her light blue eyes peered into mine, her gaze held me captive as she searched my soul. When she released me from her penetrating stare, she smoothed my hair away from my face.

"Use this summer to recharge and find peace, Bella. That's all that I ask you. Grieve if you need to, but don't forget to live. You have yet to find your path and I know that it's out there- waiting for you." She kissed my forehead, gave me one last hug and then left in a haze of peaches and cream perfume.

I crawled into the bed and drew the covers around me. Her words bounced and echoed in my head. She was the first person who didn't try to tell me that time heals all wounds or that I was young and would bounce back. Instead she offered me a safe place to let go and cry like I had been wanting to for weeks. It was in her arms that I finally felt as if I could survive and not lose myself in the process.

**A/N: Hmm.. soo... what do you think is Bella's story? Would love to know your thoughts. If you want to get exclusive teasers for this story- come join me over in my Facebook group: Witchy's Potions and Notions- the link is on my profile. Teasers will post every Saturday!**

**Now.. leave me some love... PLEASE?!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: You guys make me smile with all the love! *MWAH* So many theories abound when it comes to Bella! Don't worry.. you'll find out everything in due time. For those of you who thought Marcus was cool.. you'll be happy.. he pops up in this chapter as well!**

**Love to my ladies of the beach: Dawn, Nikki, Mandi & Sandy for all their love and help. Big thanks to Kat who waves her magic red pen and makes beachward even sweeter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or its characters- what I do own is a hate for sub zero temps! Brrr ENJOY!**

Ch 3

EPOV

The first few days I just lazed away. Finals had taken their toll on me, my brain was mush, and there was nothing left in my head. The sun felt warm on my skin while my hand held a cold bottle of beer as I sat on Marcus' front porch. There was a slight breeze blowing through that made the heat bearable. I felt the disturbance in the space next to me before I heard his voice.

"You look like a lizard sunning yourself. Of course your pasty white skin gives you away as human."

I chuckled, but kept my eyes shut, the warmth felt amazing and I wanted to soak it up.

"I've been deprived of vitamin D for months. You forget I live in the Midwest; we have a season called winter. You know, that time of year where it's cold, it snows, and you stay indoors for weeks on end." I smirked in his general direction, not sure if he was looking at me or not.

The smack to my head told me he heard and saw. "You're such a smart-ass you know that? Did you forget I grew up in Minnesota? I know all about winters. In fact, I used to have to walk uphill…"

"…both ways, no boots, paper bags on your feet," I interrupted opening my eyes looking at him. "Mom told me the same thing. But I call bullshit! You lived in St. Paul and took the bus. You forgot, Nana Platt showed me the pictures of you two standing in front of a bus."

He rolled his eyes at me and laughed. "Yeah, those were the good old days!" A comfortable silence fell around us and I went back to soaking up rays with my eyes closed. I wasn't sure how much time had passed when Marcus nudged me.

"I actually had a reason to come out and bother you. I found something in the garage I thought you'd like." He got up from his chair and headed toward the garage. He never looked back, so I figured he knew I was going to follow him. I got up and caught up to him in a few strides.

The garage was attached to the back of the house and was filled to the brim with boxes and storage containers. Nothing was labeled, so several of them were open and their contents spilling onto the floor. Marcus carefully picked his way through the mess, knowing where he wanted to go. We were all the way in the back when he stopped and gestured to the huge plastic storage container before him.

"Look what I found!" His voice held excitement and a touch of nostalgia.

At first glance, nothing in the box made sense. It looked like a pile of metal junk. But I knew Marcus wouldn't have brought me out here for junk, so there was something I was missing. I pawed through the rubble and was about to ask him what I was looking at, when something grabbed my attention. It was the last few letters of my last name. I dug through the mess and pulled out a piece of molded plastic.

_Cullen Racing_

_13_

No… there was no way that this was…

I looked up at Marcus who was beaming from ear to ear.

"Is this…?" I trailed off, not really understanding what I was seeing. "How?" I whispered. "I… what…" I couldn't form a single coherent thought. I closed my eyes and fought the wave of memories that crashed through my skull.

"Is this my old go-kart?" When I didn't hear him reply, I looked over at him. His smile was a mile wide and he was nodding like a fucking fool.

"Yeah. I saved the parts after you crashed it. You were so pissed that you wrecked that you didn't want to look at it. I was hoping later that summer you would want to work on it."

I shook my head. I was so angry at myself for ruining all our hard work. It was hard to even contemplate working on it. So I never let it cross my mind.

"I never wanted to look at it again, I was so pissed. I also worried that I let you down. All that work, just gone."

"Never, Edward. You never disappointed me." He rubbed my shoulder and then picked up a few of the parts that filled the box in front of us. "I must have put it away hoping the next summer we would get to work on it. I forgot I even had it until I pulled it out this morning." He let the implications of what he said and left unsaid hang in the air.

We stared at the pile of metal junk and I was absolutely positive we were both thinking the same thing. What if we could restore it? Visions of us working on it slammed into my brain. It was fucking perfect.

As if he could read my thoughts, Marcus gave me a sly smile. "Think we could do anything with this pile of junk?"

I returned the smile. "I know so and I know someone who could tell us."

Mike was an engineering wizard and I swear seeing the pile of parts got him hard. He dove into them with gusto. Jake sat in the background watching him sort through the pile as Marcus and I recounted the tale of the doomed go-kart. When he had completed his inventory he turned to us with a wickedly excited smile.

"So, what do you want to do with this bad boy? As I see it, we could do a simple fix up and get it working…" He let us hang there. Of course Jake couldn't handle the suspense.

"Or what?" he blurted. He blushed when we laughed at him.

"Or, we could soup this baby up and get it road-worthy so _we _could drive it." He wiggled his brows, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Hell yeah!" cheered Marcus. "I want to drive this baby."

He looked over at me, his eyes full of excitement and joy. Seeing him like that was contagious. "Let's do it!" The words were out before I even knew what I was saying. But the gleam of happiness I saw in my uncle's eyes told me, I had said the right thing.

Right then and there, Mike started to determine what we could keep and what wouldn't work. He had Jake taking notes and writing down his list of parts. That night, Mike was in a frenetic mood as he worked up a design. Somewhere near one in the morning, he came outside where we were gathered around a fire and showed us his design. It was simple, but functional.

The next few days found us scrounging through junkyards looking for parts that we could use. It was a blast, especially when Jake would make rather crude works of junkyard art. How he was able to fashion metal to look like a dick jerking off, I'll never know. Even more surprising was that Marcus refused to let him throw it away. He placed it on his wall. Mike rigged it up to become mechanical. Now, with a flick of a switch, it would jack itself off.

Who said that potty humor died when you were no longer a child?

We had been working on the go-kart steadily for three days, when I called a time out.

"Time to hit the beach, boys. I need to relax and seeing some pretty ladies would be far better than looking at your hairy asses."

Jake jumped on the beach bandwagon, and Mike never being one to refuse Jake when he starts to plead, agreed. Marcus begged off as he wasn't feeling well, but threw me the keys to his SUV and told us to go have fun.

We piled the car with chairs, towels, and a few coolers full of beer and food. The sun was shining as we drove the short distance to the beach. Marcus lived close to three really amazing beaches, but since we wanted to make the most of our day, we headed to Wrightsville Beach which was closest. As we drew near, the smell of salt in the air grew stronger. I could almost feel the water on my skin, so I floored the gas pedal and zoomed toward the beach.

It took a few trips to get everything down to a prime spot of beach real estate. But when we were settled, I sat down and popped the lid off a beer. Taking a deep draw from the bottle, I scanned the beach. We had arrived early, families for now mainly occupying the beach. Jake tried to get me to go surfing, but I begged off. Instead I closed my eyes, luxuriating in the feeling of soaking up the rays.

As the day wore on, the beach grew more crowded. The sexy eye candy I was hoping to see finally filled the vista before me. While I had no intention to start anything, I couldn't help but ogle the feast of flesh parading around. I was a red-blooded male after all. Jake managed to drag me out surfing a few times which was a fun little treat. It took me a while, but eventually I found my groove and was soon hitting the waves with the best of them.

It was later in the day, when things got interesting. I was drying off after my last round of surfing and stuffing my face with chips when Mike let out a low whistle of appreciation. I glanced his way as he was pointing out to Jake some hottie in a Speedo. I cringed as they began a discussion on the "package" they were staring at. Not wanting to even accidently see what they were talking about, I looked away only to have my eyes land on the most beautiful girl I had ever seen.

**A/N: Ohh I know... evil cliffie... but.. hey... we hear from Bella on Thursday and if you saw the teasers.. well... then you have hope! Speaking of teasers.. the link on my profile tomy FB group Witchy's Potions and Notions is now correct... YAY! So come join us.. grab a cup of brew and join in discussing the teasers that post every Saturday!**

**Now.. please let me know your thoughts! They will help warm me up on this frigid day! Thanks! WVG**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: *waves* Ohh you were all excited with the ending of the last chapter! I hope it will continue with this one! That obscene wll art that Jake made was inspirired by something my parents used to keep in our basement behind our bar.. it was in a snuff container and it was made of pipe cleaners.. but ya.. the stick figure was jacking off.. *giggles***

**Again- LOVE to my ladies: Mandi, Dawn, Nikki and Sandy for their pre-reading! EXTRA LOVE to Sandy for being my google pic hoor! Kat.. my lovely lovely beta who waved magic dust and made this sparkly!**

**ENJOY!**

Ch 4

BPOV

All I did the first few days was sleep. Between what happened with Quil and finals, I had arrived in North Carolina emotionally and physically drained. I knew I needed to deal with everything. It had been months, but it was so fucking hard. It didn't help that everywhere I looked I was reminded of him and the two of us together. I wasn't sure how I was going to survive staying in New York for the summer. That was another reason why I took Aunt Cynthia up on her invitation. It was an escape.

My eyes were closed, but I could feel the warm sun on my face, the light making the darkness behind my eyelids sparkle with diffused light. The bed dipped and I could tell from the hands that combed through my hair that it was Auntie. I rolled to face her and opened my eyes. Her hands never paused in their soothing motions. When she glanced down at me, her sable eyes were warm, but concern was etched in the lines surrounding them.

"How you doing, baby girl?" Her voice was so soft and comforting that I was helpless against it. The sense of loss and grief I'd held bottled up inside me exploded in a torrent of tears and gut-wrenching sobs. I clutched the bottom of my aunt's shirt and she pulled me closer. Her body wrapped around mine and together we rocked back and forth. She murmured nonsensical words in my ear and her hand continued to pet my hair.

I hated that once more I was using her as my shoulder to cry on, but it couldn't be helped. It seemed as if I'd cried for days and days, but there was no way that I could stop it. I cried tears of sadness, guilt, and anger. I mourned the loss of someone that at one time I had loved and I raged that he left this world like he did. The unfairness of it all threatened to consume me and that was when I clutched Cynthia even closer to me.

When my tears subsided at last, and I was left with nothing but an empty hole in my heart, I let go of the death grip I had on her shirt. It didn't escape my notice that while I may have let her go, she still held me close. With no apologies, I cuddled closer to her and let myself be comforted by her.

"Feel better?" she asked quietly as she handed me another Kleenex.

I nodded as I blew my nose and added it to the pile on the other side of the bed. I took a deep breath, luxuriating in the knowledge that it didn't hurt so much. The all-encompassing pain had dulled to nothing more than a throbbing ache. Just because I could, I took another breath. I moved different parts of my body, no longer feeling the tension that knotted up my muscles.

"Thank you," I uttered, softly to the air between us.

"There is no need to thank me, Bella. You needed time to let it all go. I just gave you the safe place to do it." She pulled away from me and I instantly missed her touch on my hair. Her eyes scanned over me and I worried about what she would see.

I knew I had lost weight, food held no appeal in the last few months. I was sure my skin was paler than usual and my eyes had bags under them. I looked as if I had gone a few rounds in a fight and lost. But I knew that Cynthia wouldn't let me look like this for too long. Whereas my mother, Renee, got the wild, exuberant genes, Cynthia was the level-headed one. She took care of her younger sister when she got into trouble, and learned the things needed to be self-sufficient. So, I was certain that her seeing me looking worse for the wear was a little nerve-wracking.

"I'm certain in a few days you'll start to feel better and in no time, you will be back the lovely and healthy Bella that I know and love." She paused and looked over my shoulder, as if she was choosing her words with care. When she turned back to look at me, her eyes were intense, but loving. "Did you want to talk to me, dear? I know I'm not Alice, but I'm always willing to listen. No judgments."

Her melodic voice washed over me and I knew that if I needed someone to talk to, she would listen and be supportive, no matter what I said or did. I just wasn't ready to talk. It wasn't as if I wanted to deny what happened, I knew that wasn't healthy. But it was still too raw for me to talk about without breaking down.

I shook my head. "No, not right now. I… I just want a few days just to be, you know? To let it all go for a little bit before I come to terms with it all."

Cynthia nodded, a gentle smile on her lips. "I do, honey, I do. Why don't you and Alice spend some time at the beach? Get a jump start on your tan, let the water wash it all away for a bit."

The beach sounded heavenly and I nodded my head, eager to get out there and soak up some sun. "That sounds perfect. Maybe we could take a picnic basket with us as well."

Her smile was bright at my enthusiasm for something other than sleeping the days away.

"Sounds good. Why don't you get ready and I'll get started on the basket." She patted my head and placed a kiss on my forehead. "I think you'll be just fine, Bella. It may not feel like it, but you will be. In the end, you'll be stronger for going through it."

I said nothing as I watched her leave my room, her words settling deep in my heart to disseminate at some later time. When I was alone once more, I threw back the covers and went looking for Alice to see if she was up for a trip to the beach.

It turned out that Alice was more than happy to go to the beach. In a flash, we were back in our rooms, digging out our swimsuits. I threw my hair into a messy bun; spotting my sunglasses by my purse I slapped them on my head. My feet slid into a pair of much worn flip flops and headed to the kitchen. There was a spring to my step at the idea of getting out and feeling the sun on my skin.

My aunt was flitting around like a mad woman; sandwiches had already been made and bagged. A huge cutting board was filled with veggies and fruit cut into bit size pieces. Water bottles sat next to a cute little wicker basket. Peeking inside, I spotted several snack size bags of chips and a container of cookies. She had gone overboard, but I couldn't say anything, the food looked too good for me to deny. I wanted every morsel.

A few minutes later, Cynthia was shooing us out the door with a wave, a kiss, and a smile on her face. We loaded up the car with the basket, towels, books, and sunscreen. With a little whoop, I peeled out and headed to toward the beach. I rolled the windows down and Alice found an 80's station and we belted out every song as we drove. With each mile that rolled under the car, I felt the last vestiges of tension leave my body and be replaced with lightness.

The salty sea air assaulted my senses the closer we got to our destination and my excitement levels notched higher and higher. By the time we reached the beach I was giddy. As we unloaded the car, we kept singing the last song that was on the radio, we didn't care that people were staring, we went with our good mood.

We were lucky to have arrived at the beach before it got too crowded. Finding a nice section of sand, we staked our claim and laid down our stuff. I made Alice help me slather my body with sunscreen. I knew until I worked up my base color, I was going to burn more easily than normal.

Before too long, we were lying face down, our backs warmed by the sun. We talked low between us, about our senior year at school and how it's then off to the "real" world for us. Alice was still undecided if she wanted to pursue a master's in art education. I on the other hand, was looking forward to graduation and then going to work. I was sick of school. Maybe later I'd go back, but for now, I was ready to be done.

The first few hours we spent at the beach were just perfect. The sun was warm, but the water was there to help keep us cool. We grazed on our food while we people watched, laughing at the fact that there were guys who dared to wear Speedos. It was also thrilling to watch the surfers as they rode the waves. I surfed a bit back home, but it had been so long I wasn't sure if I remembered how to do it anymore. It felt good to just let loose and not worry about anything. For the first time, I felt as if my head was above water and I no longer feared I would drown in my sadness.

We were on our way back to our little section of the beach when I got the feeling I was being watched. The tiny hairs on my body stood up, the air around me felt charged. I scanned the area, but without knowing who or what I was looking for, I didn't know what I would find. Alice's voice that had been chattering on about wanting to find a place to paint, faded to nothing more than background noise as I continued to look around me.

When nothing jumped out as different or creepy, I shook off the feeling and tried to focus my attention back to Alice.

"…your aunt said she knew of a few places that had great ocean views that I might like for painting. I can't wait!" I nodded and hummed at all the right places. Even when we were back at our towels, I still felt as if there were eyes on me and it creeped me out. With another mental shake, I picked up the trashy novel I'd brought and tried to immerse myself in smutty werewolves.

The novel held my attention for just nine minutes before I felt the air around me shift, there was an intensity to it that wasn't there before. A shadow crossed over my towel and I snapped my gaze skyward only to land on the greenest eyes I had ever seen.

**A/N: OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! You've learned a tad more about Bella's past.. and we will learn more. Plus.. it looks like someone may have found what he was looking for! I cant wait to hear your thoughts! Leave me some love? PLEASE?**

**See ya on Saturday in my FB group (link on profile) for the teasers! *smooches* **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I have to say.. I love you all! You all had hearts that were breaking for Bella... and the theories! MAN! creative!**

**I'm posting earlier due to porn that was posted in my group.. I love you ladies!**

**Many thanks to my team of ladies that keepme going: Sandy, Dawn, Nikki & Mandi and last but never least Miss Kat for herbeta wand! You girlies make me giggle!**

**ENJOY!**

Ch 5

EPOV

I couldn't tear my eyes away from her. So, like a creepy stalker, I watched as she moved across the sand. My eyes roamed over her body and I was very pleased with what saw. She was talking to another girl, so I didn't get to see her face, just her curves as they were hugged by a sexy black bikini. Her hair was on top of her head in a damp clump, but a few wisps clung to her neck, drawing my eyes down its gentle slope.

Before I knew what I was doing, my feet had moved me in her direction and I wasn't sure I wanted to stop them. But when she suddenly stopped moving, so did I. She looked around the beach area as if she was looking for someone. Her brow furrowed as her eyes moved over the area. A few times her gaze swept over me and I paused, waiting to see if she would stop and look at me. I didn't understand my disappointment I felt when she kept on looking.

"Edward!" I turned around to see Mike waving at me as if to say, they were over there, not where I was.

I waved back to let him know I saw and heard him. "I'll be back!" I pointed over toward the girl and gave him a thumbs up. He smirked and gave me one right back. However, when I turned around, she was gone.

"Fuck!" I cursed, more than willing to wring Mike's neck for distracting me. I headed toward the spot where I last saw her, my eyes watching for any hint of the black bikini. When I reached the spot I thought she had last occupied, I went in circles trying to locate her. I was just about to give up, when a fat dude with too many gold chains moved and I spotted her lying down a short distance away.

For just a moment, I was stunned. She was a few feet from me, but so engrossed in her book, she never noticed my leering gaze. I couldn't help it. The black suit was a stark contrast to her pale skin. I could see the beginning of some sun burn on her shoulders and arms. Her hair was now mostly dry and in the sun it revealed its brownish-red tints. My eyes traveled down her body, her tits were safely encased in the bikini top, but the swells were tempting enough. She had nice hips and long legs that were crossed and waving in the air. Once more, I moved closer to her. I had no idea what I was going to say to her, just that I needed to get closer.

This wasn't like me. I was never this aggressive when approaching a woman, but there was something about her. It had been too long since I was interested in a girl. School had always been my focus as I wanted to get my degree and start teaching as soon as possible. The last serious girlfriend I had was in my sophomore year of college, we dated for most of the school year. When she started talking about moving in and life after college, I knew things had to end. I just wasn't feeling it with her.

My shadow crossed over her and I paused, uncertain as to what my next move should be. But when her eyes glanced up at me, I had no words to say. Her eyes were so warm and soft; I had never seen such rich brown eyes. My tongue glued itself to the roof of my mouth and any attempt to try to speak was met with silence. She graced me with a gentle smile and I felt myself responding in kind.

"Hello?" she said, the one word laced with pleasantness and curiosity. She had to be wondering why I was just standing there, mute, staring at her. Hell, I was wondering the same thing. But eventually my brain processes started to function once more and I was able to open my mouth.

"Umm.." Of course it wasn't my usually suaveness.

A muffled giggle had me looking over at her friend who was busy trying to hide behind her trashy magazine to stifle her laughter. I could feel a slight blush creep over my face and I prayed that she would think that my face was red from the sun.

Brown eyes just looked at me, a smile curved her lips and her eyes twinkled.

_Come on, Edward! Get your act together._

This time I was treated to both of them laughing. Fuck! Did I just say that out loud? This time there was no mistaking the blush that I felt color my face and my neck.

"Edward, is that your name?" Brown eyes asked me gently. I was convinced that she was trying to be nice only to find a way to let me down easy and I hadn't even spoken to her.

Taking a deep breath, I cleared my head and closed my eyes, desperately trying to find my calm demeanor.

"Yes, my name is Edward," I managed to mutter out. "I'm not usually this flustered. I could blame on the heat, but I'd be lying." I gave her the smile that always melted my mother when I was trouble. I could slowly feel my confidence coming back on-line.

She laughed and held out her hand. "I'm Bella. Nice to meet you. This chuckle head here is Alice. So what are you going to blame for making you so flustered?"

"You. You're a beautiful woman, Bella."

"Oooh my," muttered Alice, who nudged Bella with her elbow as she winked. It was code for something, but I had no way to decipher it. Looking at Bella, I could see that she was now the one getting flustered. It was nice to see that I still had the old Cullen charm. Sensing that she was floundering for a way to reply, I swooped in and saved her like she did for me.

"Are you ladies from around here? I don't detect the usual local accent from either of you." Bella looked relieved that I had navigated the topic away from my compliment. I winked at her to let her know that were now even.

"No," she replied, "we're visiting my aunt and uncle for the summer. I'm from the West Coast, but go to school in New York. How about you? There's no accent for you either."

I lowered myself to my knees so that Bella didn't have to strain her neck upward to talk to me. I was banking on the hope that she would want to keep talking so I wanted to make it easier for her.

"I'm here visiting a relative as well for the summer. No accent for me as I'm from the Midwest. We speak the right way." I winked at her and was pleased to hear her laugh. "Have you been to North Carolina before?" I asked, desperate to keep her talking.

"Yeah, I've been here before. I've visited my relatives several times over the years. I haven't been back in quite a while though. I've missed it." Her eyes looked away and she chewed her lower lip. Her voice sounded so sad and wistful. I missed the smiles she gave me before.

"Well, if you are in need of a travel guide, I'd be happy to volunteer to show you around. I've spent my summers growing up on these beaches. I love it here." I held her gaze, my eyes boring into hers. I hadn't intended to offer to show them around, but when I said it, it felt right. Long, silent seconds passed before Alice butted in and spoke, breaking the spell that surrounded us.

"We would love that. Why don't you give us your number and we'll call you?" She held out a pen and without any hesitation I snatched it out of her hand and scribbled my name and number on Alice's magazine.

"I hope to hear from you soon, ladies. Have a good day." It killed me to stand up and walk away, but if I had stayed, it would have made the situation even more awkward. There was a reason why Bella didn't automatically agree to spending time with me and I was hoping eventually I would find out why.

When I reached Mike and Jake I gave into the temptation to look back at Bella. She was talking to Alice, a small crease between her eyes. A sigh escaped and I found myself wishing I could see her smile once more.

**A/N: WOO HOO! We have conversation AND an offer to be a travel guide! Did that make up for the past 2 cliffies? Question now... will Bella take him up on the offer?**

**As always..come hang with us in my Facebook group- click on profile. Leave me some love and I'll see ya on Thursday! *mwah***


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: You are all sneaky little readers.. already assuming that Alice will call Edward if Bella won't... *tsk* *tsk* Patience my dears!**

**Love to my ladies...Nikki, Mandi, Dawn & Sandy you make me smile. To my beta fairy Miss Kat.. smooches to you as well.**

**Let's get right to what Bella thought of her little conversation with Edward... ENJOY!**

Ch 6

BPOV

"Oh my goodness he was a cutie, Bella! Did you see that blush?" Alice's blue eyes sparkled with amusement. "Are you going to call him? I think you should!"

"Breathe, Alice. Just relax." I waited for Alice to calm down. It wasn't like her to get so worked up; she was a rather calm person. She reserved her passion for her art. When she was in the painting groove, there was no way anyone could get her to come back to reality.

When she was at last calm, I flipped to my side and held my head up with my hand. For a few moments we just stared at each other. I was certain she could see the swirl of emotions that roiled in me. When she said nothing, instead letting me stew in the chaos in my head, I fell back on my back.

"He was cute wasn't he?" Even behind closed eyelids I could still see his eyes, so green. They reminded me of all the moss covered trees of the forests back home. My brow scrunched as I thought about Quil. The ever present pain, flared just a bit and it allowed guilt to seep into my body. I had never reacted to Quil the way I reacted to Edward.

He was picture perfect, everything about him screamed male. He was tall, I could tell by how he towered over me. But it was those eyes that sucked me in. They were warm, sexy, and open all at the same time. His smile was charming and engaging. I found myself getting lost in his nearness and the sheer maleness that radiated off him.

The weird part was that I wanted to accept his invitation. The words were on the tip of my tongue and I just froze, guilt and worry reared their heads and stunned me silent. Alice in all her ever present wisdom, jumped in to help me save face, but it left me in a quandary. How to accept his invitation and not let my feelings overwhelm me?

"You know, it's ok to like him, Bella." Alice's words were gentle and kind. "It may be good for you, ya know?"

I snorted in derision. Only Alice would think that sex was the cure all. It was how she always got her way with Jasper. "I don't need to get laid, Allie." I sighed, "It's not even on my radar right now."

Alice pushed at my arm playfully. "No, not just that, but a summer romance. Think about it. It's a fling with a set end date. There are no worries about how or when to end it. Once the summer is done, so is the romance. Plus, you get the benefit of getting laid. A win-win if I ever saw one."

I turned to look at Alice. "Really, a summer fling? Do people do that?"

Alice laughed at my bewildered expression and I scowled at her. There was no need to laugh at my disbelief. I never really believed that people actually engaged in summer flings. To me, they were relegated to the smut books I liked to read.

"Of course they do, silly woman. All the time." At that I chuckled.

"How do you know? You've been attached to Jasper's hip practically since diapers."

"I read Cosmo," she retorted. Then her smiling face turned serious and she pinned me with her stare. "It may be what will help you move on from Quil, honey. It's time you let him go, you did once, now you need to do it again. Then, come the fall, you can start your last year of college with a fresh perspective."

As we packed up to leave, her words rattled around in my head. She had a way of saying things that made me think, I loved and hated Alice for that. She knew me like no other person. We had been friends since junior high when she moved into a house close to mine. She had lived in a small town in Montana and moved to Seattle when her dad got a better paying job. We literally ran into each other as we were riding our bikes. We've been inseparable ever since.

It was her idea, that once we finished high school we would head to New York, both of us looking for an adventure. When it came time to apply to colleges, we only looked at and applied to East Coast schools. The day we both got into NYU, we screamed and cried. It was our dream come true.

Now that we had been in the city for almost four years, it was like our second home. I missed it when I was gone and couldn't wait to go back. Except for now, that feeling of wanting to be home was gone. Maybe there were too many memories of Quil, too many emotions that threatened to bubble up and overflow. So maybe that was why her words struck a chord deep inside me. Maybe I did need to let go once more and that's what I was fighting against.

Later that night, after dinner and my aunt and uncle had gone to bed and Alice was busy engaging in phone sex with Jasper, I pulled up the few remaining pictures I had of Quil and I. They had been taken before things went so wrong. There was one of us kissing in Time Square on New Year's Eve, another of us in one of the horse drawn carriages in Central Park and one of us in my room, huddled in blankets.

My fingers traced the familiar lines and curves of his face, the smile that went from ear to ear, and the eyes that crinkled with mirth. He was a carefree person, sweet, loving, and generous to a fault. It was those traits that drew me to him. Our relationship was a good one, but soon it was all too apparent, we wanted different things in life. Before the memories could threaten to overwhelm me, I closed out the pictures, wiped the lone tear and snuggled down into my blankets.

Tomorrow I promised myself I would call Edward and let the chips fall where they may. I wasn't entirely convinced I could do the whole summer fling, but making a new friend never hurt anyone. When sleep finally pulled me under, my dreams were filled with penetrating green eyes and a gentle warmth in my belly.

**A/N: Hmmmm soo much to chew and think about in there. We got a little bit more about Quil, her thoughts about Edward and Alice throwing out the idea of a summer fling... **

**Come find me in my Facebook Group: Witchyy's Potions and Notions.. I give out 2 teasers EVERY Saturday! Plus we have smexy pics and when inspiration strikes.. I throw out the random picture teasers as well! Link on profile..**

**NOW.. tell me what ya thought.. please? Till later... *smooches***


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: HAPPY MONDAY! This is THE chapter that I've been waiting to post.. and if you ask ANY of my pre-readers.. they will say it one of their faves! Love tomy team: Sandy, Mandi, Dawn & Nikki for pre-reading and to the sweet Miss Kat- my beta of wonder!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.. just a warped sense of humor that created this chapter!**

**WARNING! DO NOT DRINK ANY LIQUIDS WHILE READING! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!**** ENJOY!**

Ch 7

EPOV

"You should have seen him, Marcus, he was all twitterpated." Mike stood up and fluttered his hands like he was fanning his face. "She's so beautiful. Did you see her smile?" he mocked in a high falsetto.

"Fuck off dickwad! I didn't sound like that!" I made a half-hearted attempt at lunging for him, but the massive amount of beer I consumed made me wobbly and I ended up falling out of my chair. That of course sent the three idiots into a fit of hysterics. I flipped them all off, double bird and all.

_Take that assholes._

"Oh, your favorite uncle is an asshole now?" asked Marcus in fake consternation, one hand over his heart the other up by his forehead.

"Yes," I replied and then punctuated it with a loud belch. I patted my chest as the taste of dinner came back to me.

When we had arrived back at the house, Marcus had the end all, be all of dinners cooking. The smell of meat sizzling on the grill greeted us and made our stomach grumble in appreciation. We had plowed our way through the snacks we'd taken to the beach in short order, so we were starving. Inside the house, Marcus was checking baked potatoes and when I went to check the grill I nearly drooled at the sight of roasted ears of corn.

When we all sat down at the table, there wasn't a word spoken. The boys and I tore into our meal as if we had never seen food before. The corn was dripping in butter and the steaks were so tender they melted in your mouth. I had a mound of butter, sour cream, bacon, and chives topping my potato. I didn't think anyone could tell there was even a spud under all that. The meal was capped off with a few bottles of red wine that Marcus claimed enhanced the meal. I didn't care one way or the other, I ate too fast and too much to notice.

Now, we were sitting in the backyard, fire roaring, the river flowing, crickets chirping, and we were all drunk as skunks. The mini beer can pyramid we had erected attested to exactly how much we had drank. Funny thing was that Marcus was easily keeping pace if not starting to drink us under the table. He seemed to be just fine while I had to contend with the earth spinning away from me every once in a while.

"I'll remember you called me an asshole when it comes time to write you into or out of my will." My supposed friends cackled at that while Marcus saluted me with his beer before he chugged it down. "I need another, my dear boys!"

Of course since the gay boys extraordinaire were hamming it up, they stumbled over themselves trying to get a beer for Marcus. When they couldn't get untangled from each other, Marcus trucked to the cooler, plucked a can from the ice and popped the top.

"Sissy boys," he muttered and I couldn't help but laugh. Marcus plopped down in a seat next to me. "Tell me about the bird you met today." He waggled his brows and in my hazy mind it reminded me of two bushy caterpillars.

"No one calls girls birds any more except pervy old men like you." I rolled my eyes for good measure, thankful when it didn't make me want to hurl.

"Whatever, tell me about her. Big rack, beautiful, long legs? Come on boy, I need details. Those two pussies over there wouldn't know a good looking woman if she fell on them." We both laughed because we knew it was true.

One would think I'd be uncomfortable with my uncle talking to me like that, but that's was how it was with us. He told me once that I had my parents to teach me right from wrong and good morals. His job was to be like the big brother that would tell me how it really was in the real world. He never sugarcoated things for me, he always told me straight up what was happening. It was one of the many things I admired about him.

Thinking back on Bella made me smile. Marcus gave me a pointed look at my smile warning me his patience would only last for so long.

"She's real pretty, legs that went on for miles." I groaned as I pictured her long, slender legs waving in the air as she read. "Nice rack, from what I could see of it. I did try to be a gentleman. If I get to see her again, I'll spend some time scoping out the ladies." Marcus' clapped me on the back.

"Good boy. Reel her in with your charm and then dazzle the pants off her. Literally"

I laughed at his rather crude sentiment. The tender man moment was busted up by the wonder twins as they stumbled back to the fire ring. They were lightweights when it came to drinking, but funny as all hell when drunk. I have several videos I was saving for the perfect blackmail moment.

Looking at them, I could tell they had something up their sleeve, or rather, Mike did. Out of the two of them, Mike was the instigator, Jake followed along like a little puppy. The only reason I could figure why Jake put up with Mike's shit was that he gave good head. A guy, straight or gay, would do anything for good head. Trust me.

"Who wants some herbal refreshment," asked Mike in a sing-song voice as he held up a plastic baggie. My eyes bugged out when I saw several neatly rolled joints inside.

"You brought that on a plane? Jesus fucking Christ Mike! What would you have done if they found it?" I shook my head in complete disbelief that he managed to get weed pass the TSA agents. Fucking government workers. "If you wanted it up the ass, you could've joined the mile high club with Jake."

Mike just smiled at me as it lit a joint. He took a few deep tokes before he passed it to Jake and the sweet smell wafted over to us. I closed my eyes at the scent. I wasn't one to get high often, but when I did, I loved the mellowness I felt. Jake handed it to me and I sucked in the smoke, holding it for as long as I could. I was going to give it back to Mike when Marcus' hand shot out to stop me.

"Dude, I thought I taught you to share!" Before I could process, he had taken the joint and was sucking on it like an old pro. He blew out neat smoke rings before passing it along to Mike. My eyes were wide as I couldn't believe I just watched my uncle take a hit off a joint.

"Stop staring Edward, it's rude. I went to college you know. Maybe I should question you and your weed habit." He smirked at me and I knew he was right.

"Touché," I said as I inhaled once more on the joint when it was given back to me.

In silence we passed it around until it was nothing more than a tiny roach and Marcus threw it into the fire. I watched the flames dance in a weird psychedelic patterns until Jake's abnormally high pitched screech harshed my mellow.

"Oh my gawd! I love this song! Dance with me Mikey!" Jake never bothered to wait for a response as he turned up the stereo with one hand and grabbed Mike with the other. What happen next will be forever etched into my mind. No amount of brain bleach, alcohol, or drugs would ever scrub that memory from my mind.

It all started so innocently, Jake grinding on Mike as they sang Gaga's _Born This Way. _I've seen them go all out with this song before so I was just prepared to sit back and watch the show. The vibrations from the song made cool colors in my head. When I heard Marcus belt out that he shouldn't be a drag but be a queen, things took an awful turn.

The three of them started to gyrate and grind on each other. They took turns being the meat in an all-male sandwich and all I could do was watch. It was like a train wreck, no way that you can't not look. But when I heard Jake tell Marcus, "That's not how you do it! You'd be missing the ass!" I gripped the arms rests of my chair in pure fright.

"No, you're not thrusting with your hips the right way," chided Jake. "Here, let me show you how to do it." He then proceeded to get behind Mike and started simulating anal sex. Mike then started to get into the fun, by moaning and begging for Jake to go harder and faster. I had to choke down the vomit threatening to erupt.

Of course, it couldn't have ended there, oh no way. Marcus had to give it another go and Jake being the ever helpful little boy, walked my uncle through the finer points of anal sex and how to get the motion just right. It got even worse as Marcus grabbed a fistful of Mike's head and asked him if he was a dirty boy and liked to be spanked. I swear Mike moaned and his eyes rolled to the back of his head as he hissed out, "Yes, big daddy."

Never one to be left out, Jake got behind Marcus and it was a bad rendition of a clothed fucking chain. Dry heaves made my chest convulse and I could only stare dumbfounded as my gay friends and Marcus acted out a hedonistic fantasy.

I've seen the live version of the Mike and Jake anal pleasure show too many times to count. But seeing and hearing Jake give Marcus the fine points in hitting the prostrate and the best way to pound an ass, it was too fucking much. The weed, beer, and horrifying scene in front of me made my stomach churn painfully till everything came spewing out.

If anyone has ever vomited outside, you would know that concrete tends to make it splatter everywhere. When it splashed over Jake's bare feet, he jumped up and away which caused both Marcus and Mike to lose their balance. In slow motion I watched as they wobbled and fell, doing their best to move away from the pile of regurgitated steak and potatoes. Mike ended up being pushed right into it when Marcus kept hold of his hips and pushed him down and over.

When the last man was down all that could be heard was their laughter and my pained whimpers. Flashes of their thrusting and writhing bodies played behind me eyes. It made the butterflies in my stomach dance and twirl. I didn't think I had anything else to hurl, but I didn't want to stay around to find out. Somehow I gathered my wits and crawled my way into the house. They could clean up the mess, they were the cause of it after all.

**A/N: *giggles* Ohh man what a scene.. I can picture it! Can you? *giggles* Ohh I can't wait for your reviews.. so let me have them..please? See ya on Thursday! WVG**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: *giggles* You guys made me laugh as much as the other chapter did! So glad you loved it! I promise this one has zero squick factor...**

**I love all the reviews and faves! Love to my team of ladies: Mandi, Nikki, Dawn & Sandy- you ladies make me smile! To the wonderful Miss Kat who waves her pen and leave me comments about Edward's adorkable factor!**

**Disclaimer: You all know I dont own Twilight! ENJOY!**

Ch 8

BPOV

"If you stare at that paper long enough, it might actually dial the phone for you." Alice giggled and I pushed her away from me.

I wasn't sure why I was hesitating in calling Edward. It wasn't like I was going to embark on the summer fling Alice kept talking about. Okay, that was a lie. Edward had been invading my mind since I met him and I had tossed the idea around a few times. He was in my dreams last night and they weren't of the platonic variety. They were sexy, hot, and sweaty. Did I mention hot?

Deep down, I knew what the problem was. My head saw no issue with calling Edward and seeing where things could go. My heart, it was an entirely different matter. It felt like a betrayal to Quil's memory and I hated that I still harbored that guilt. Like Alice said, it was time to finally let him go for good, one last time.

I took a deep breath and held it as I dialed the digits and when it rang, I let it all out. I was going to do this. I could do this. Of course, all my worrying and consternation was for nothing as I got his voicemail.

_You've reached me but I don't want to talk. So, you know what to do at the beep._

"Umm, hey Edward, it's Bella. From the beach yesterday. I was just calling to see if I could take you up on your offer to be my guide? So, umm call me. Bye."

I punched the end button and flopped on my bed. The butterflies in my stomach quieted to a slow flutter. I closed my eyes to gather my equilibrium and calm my racing heart.

"See, it wasn't that bad!"

I gave Alice a bitch brow for a few seconds before I finally smiled at her. We laughed and it allowed me relax. I could handle hanging out with Edward.

"I know, Alice. It's just a big deal to me." I turned to look her, my face serious.

She brushed some of my hair back. "I get it, Bella. I do. But, there's no reason not to move on." We stared at each other. Alice's face etched with loving concern. She was there for me in those dark days and weeks. She kept me together when the guilt threatened to consume me. She was my rock. I could never repay her for all she did.

"I know. It's just a scary thing. I haven't dated in like two years! What if all the rules have changed? Is sex still the same?" I couldn't even keep a straight face as I spoke.

"Oh fuck off!" Then she blindsided me with a pillow to the head. That led to an all-out pillow fight complete with running around, screaming, and laughing. When we finally cried uncle, we collapsed on the bed breathless but happy.

My phone trilled with a generic ringtone and when I looked at the display, I saw it was Edward. I scrambled off the bed to the other side of the room. I pushed my wild hair off my face and took several deep, but rapid breaths.

"Shush," I chided Alice before I pressed accept.

"Hello?" I cringed as I felt my voice sounded like I sucked down a gallon of helium. Why did I sound like a pre-pubescent boy?

"Bella? It's Edward." His voice flowed over me like warm honey. It was rich and seductive.

"Hey, Edward. Thanks for calling me back." I glared at Alice who had made herself comfortable on my bed and stared at me with a creepy googly- eyed grin.

_Get lost! _I mouth. She just shook her head and grinned even wider. I flipped her the bird and turned my back. Childish I know. But it was better than leaving the room, she would've followed me anyway. I needed to concentrate on my conversation with Edward so I didn't make a huge ass of myself.

"Not a problem. I'm happy that you did. I'm more excited that I get to play tour guide. Do you have any idea of what you'd like to do or see?" I bit my lip to keep the laughter at bay. Edward's voice was just too damn adorable in his excitement.

"Not really. It has been a while since I've been down here. So, I'm open to suggestions." With bated breath I waited to see what he would say. The butterflies I felt earlier came back in full force, making my stomach feel like a bounce house. Deep down, I really wanted to see him again. I just wasn't going to admit it out loud, where Alice could hear.

"Why don't we go down to one of the other beaches. Kure Beach is good, not usually as crowded as the others." He paused and I sensed there was more he wanted to say. "This way we could spend time getting to know each other? Especially if we are going to be spending lots of time together." His words came fast and furious, like he was nervous.

I almost scoffed out loud at that idea. What did an obscenely gorgeous guy like Edward have to worry about? "That sounds great. When did you want to meet? Alice and I won't take too long to get ready."

The low throaty chuckle that swept across the line sent shivers down my back and for the first time in a while, other nerve endings in my body tingled. All from a motherfucking laugh!

"Well, my friends just got up and need time to eat and get ready. Shall we say meet in the parking lot in an hour?"

"Sounds great!" I prayed he didn't hear how breathy my voice sounded. "We'll bring food if you bring the beverages."

"It's a deal. Do you know how to get there?" he asked, the concern I heard making me smile.

"Yeah, I think so. But I can get directions from my aunt."

"Good. Well, then I guess I'll see you soon."

I nodded my head, forgetting for a second that he couldn't see me. "Yeah, see you soon." I ended the call and pounded my head on the nearest wall. Nervousness flooded my body making me anxious and frighteningly excited.

"Alice!" I yelled as I whirled around. She was sitting on the bed, a shit-eating grin on her face.

"You rang," she chirped.

"I have nothing to wear," I moaned.

She laughed, that evil little sprite, right in my face. "Girl, I'm no fashion expert, but between us, we can make sure that Edward notices you." Twenty minutes later I had on a bikini that accented my assets, pun intended, short cut-offs, and my hair thrown up in a purposefully messy bun. We raced around the kitchen gathering food for all of us. There was a good chance that we had too much food, but we had no idea how long we were going to be at the beach.

Fifteen minutes later, the car was packed and we were on our way. I made Alice drive because I was so scattered, I would've gotten us lost. The tunes were cranked up and Alice was singing in her off-key voice. It was just enough of a distraction to keep me from hurling my breakfast out the window.

The sight of the beach coming over the horizon broke me from my frazzled thoughts and I drank in the sight of the pristine white sand beach and the sun glinting off the water. I kept my attention on the sparkling water as Alice pulled into the parking lot. I tried not to look for Edward, but after a few pathetic seconds, I lost the fight and scanned the area.

When I spotted him, leaning casually against a dark colored SUV, my heart skipped a beat. I chided myself for my reaction. But there was no denying that Edward was good-looking. He was tall, taller than I even realized. Broad shouldered and a nicely defined chest, a slight hint of a four pack could be seen. The black board shorts he wore were slung low on his hips and I spied a hint of the V that made me lick my lips.

He had this wild tangle of hair that was slightly longer on top and shorter on the sides, and the shade of it was a strange mix of browns with a hint of red. But it was those eyes, green like spring grass that captivated me. They held my gaze as he sauntered over to where Alice had parked. He smiled when he caught me staring and as much as I wanted to stop, I couldn't make myself contemplate the action.

"Hey, happy you made it. I have my friends securing us some prime beach real estate. Ready to catch some rays?"

At those words, any pretense I had that I wasn't going to enter into a summer fling crumbled. My body erupted in shivers and tingles and I knew I was under his spell. Maybe it was wrong that I was going to do this, but when wrong looked like Edward, I was ready to never be right.

**A/N: Did you get the tingles? I know I did! *sigh* Don't forget that in my Facebook group- I do TEASE ME BABY Saturdays... teasers are picked out by a member of my wonderful team! If you're not a member- link in on my FF profile or come find me on FB!**

**Until then.. leave me your thoughts... what will next week bring? Thanks!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Ohhh I have some excitable readers! All twitterpated that Bella called! You all make me smile!**

**Once more- give thanks to my ladies: Nikki, Sandy, Mandi, & Dawn for pre-reading and Miss Pixiekat for her beta skills! *mwah***

**Shall we see what EPOV thinks of their day at the beach? ENJOY!**

Ch 9

EPOV

The sound of Bella's laughter rang out in our little circle and I couldn't help but smile. She and Alice got along so well with the boys, at times I wondered if it was too well. But, knowing that Bella didn't have the right equipment to entice my friends, made me breathe a bit easier. Jake and Mike were busy telling the girls about last night and they were holding their sides due to laughing so much.

"I swear, Edward's entire face was turning purple and green! I've never seen someone hurl chunks in slow-mo, it was equal parts cool and disturbing."

"I don't know if I should be disgusted or fascinated by this story," panted Alice.

Bella shook her head and a few more strands of her hair fell around her face; her eyes were bright. "Definitely disgusting. I think I'm going to have to meet this Marcus. He sounds like a riot."

I nodded my head in agreement. "I can make that happen." I refrained from sharing with her that I told Marcus about her. I didn't want to scare her off by appearing over-eager. Her initial hesitation to my request to see her again a few days ago was still fresh in my mind. At the moment, I wanted to enjoy her company and get to know her better.

"Oh, you two will love Marcus. He is one cool dude. Edward lucked out when he got him for an uncle." I couldn't mistake the wistfulness in Jake's voice. His family wasn't as accepting of his "lifestyle" choice. His mother believed it was just a phase and kept pushing him to "date a nice young woman". His grandparents had all but disowned him and he had no other extended family he was close to. There had been a few holidays he spent with my family and my mom took him under her wing. I wouldn't be surprised if she loved him more than me.

"I still don't remember much from last night," mused Mike. "I didn't think I was _that_ wasted." The girls laughed at his bewildered expression.

"Oh, we've all been there before," stated Alice who shot Bella a sidelong glance. Mike, the ever observant one, pounced on it.

"Is there a story to that statement we should be aware of Alice?" He waggled his finger between the girls and Bella began to blush and shake her head.

Alice giggled and starred at Bella, as if looking at her friend was causing the story to play out before her.

"Don't hold out on us! We told you that we simulated a three way anal sex scene with a guy old enough to be my dad! Give us the dirt."

"Well," drawled Alice.

"No, please don't," begged Bella, who waved her hand in front of Alice's face. I watched as some non-verbal showdown occurred right in front of us. Bella's eyes were wide and pleading; Alice's smile was teasing and playful while her eyebrows did some comical waggle dance.

"It's not _that _bad, Bells, at least when you compare it to the one they just told." Alice gave another pointed glance at Bella. Seconds passed before Bella threw her hands up in surrender.

"Fine! But I'm not telling it!" She turned to me with a slightly furious look on her face and stuck out her hand. "Well, Edward, it's been nice knowing you. Thanks for a great day at the beach." Her tone held a mocking bite to it and I swallowed the grin threatening to break free.

"Aww, you won't stay and hang some more with us?" I gave her my best puppy dog eyes and pouty lips.

"After you hear the story, you'll be glad to let me leave." She rolled her eyes and gestured to Alice. "Might as well tell it, get it over with."

Both Mike and Jake clapped hands and moved closer to Alice. "I can't wait," exclaimed Jake.

"Well, it was our freshman year, Bella was taking an Intro Psych class and this one guy kept hitting on her, trying to talk to her after class, things like that." We all smiled as Alice began her tale, but out of the corner of my eye I watched as Bella hid her face in her hands.

I tugged on a piece of her hair and leaned closer to whisper in her ear. "I promise that I'll still want to hang out with you even after I hear the story." I held out my pinkie. "I'll even pinkie swear to it." Her breathing hitched and for a brief moment, we were surrounded by our own bubble, green eyes locked onto warm brown. Wordlessly she linked her pinkie with mine and we shook them.

An elbow from Alice, drew us apart and she continued with her story. "He finally cornered her after class and invited her to a party. She begged me to go, so I did. And when we got there the party was in full swing and to calm her nerves Bella got the bright idea to get us involved in beer pong game. It also served the purpose of hiding so he would have to search for Bella. By the time the guy found her at the party, we were both drunk off our asses."

Alice takes a moment to giggle at the memory and Bella closes her eyes and flops down on her towel.

"We can barely walk or talk, we were an absolute mess. So the guy gets all excited that Bella is there and begs her to come to his room, as he wants to show her something. Unbeknownst to us both, Bella tends to be a little impulsive and has a false sense of bravado when she's had too much to drink." I hear Bella giggle and I hold out hope that maybe things will turn out just fine.

"So, we get to his room which seemed to take forever. I know for me, personally, the room was spinning, and Bella was doing her best to hold up the wall. I should tell you that his room was on the second floor. So he digs around on his desk and comes up with a few pictures and gives them to Bella."

She pauses for dramatic effect and Bella is mumbling under her breath. I laugh at them both and wait anxiously for Alice to finish.

"I look over her shoulder to look and see that he was dressed in drag, like head to toe, full on drag, and was standing next to cardboard cut-out of some actor and had pasted Bella's face onto it!"

We all howl in surprise and I turn to look at Bella who was smiling even though she was hiding behind her hands once again.

"Needless to say, Bella dropped the pictures and took off running where she promptly fell down a flight and half of stairs and cracked a tooth. The next day she had cuts and scrapes on her face and arms and had to get a tooth repaired."

We all bust a gut and the boys are clapping their hands in giddy excitement. They turned to Alice to ask about his drag outfit and I took the time to face Bella to make sure she was okay. I gently pried her hands off her face and gave her a soft smile.

"That wasn't too bad. I think last night was way worse. I think vomit and dry humping anal sex wins."

I waggled my brows and was rewarded with a loud burst of laughter. "You're right. Yours was far more interesting. At least I was drunk enough that the image of him in drag has faded. You have years to go before that happens to you."

Her smile was wicked and sexy and I couldn't help keep up with the teasing-flirting thing we had going. Moving closer, I leaned down so I was barely touching her ear with my lips.

"Maybe I'll just have to replace the image with something more appealing." I pulled back to see her eyes were slightly hooded and a faint blush on her cheeks. With another sly smile, I winked at her and turned my attention back to our friends.

In that moment, I vowed that I'd be spending as much time as I could with Bella. Summer had never looked so good.

**A/N: Ok.. confession time.. I lived Bella's story- with minor changes. There was no party, I wasn't drunk, but he did show me pictures of him in full on drag. As I was looking at them, he told me he was going to his room to get something. I got scared, threw them down and ran like hell. *hangs head***

**Ok... now its your turn.. tell me you thoughts on the chapter or if you have an embarrassing story to share.. please do so! Otherwise.. I'll see ya on Thursday!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thanks for sharing all your wonderfully embarassing stories! You guys rock! Want to give a little shout out to folks who joined us from A Different Forest.. one of my lovely readers rec'ed the story there! *waves* HI!**

**Love to my team of awesome pre-readers: Sandy, Mandi, Nikki and Dawn! Squishy hugs to my beta Miss Pixiekat.. I loves you.. *cracks whip* **

**Shall we see what other kinds of fun these crazy are up to? ENJOY!**

Ch 10

BPOV

I floated in the ocean in a weightless cocoon. The bright blue sky was above me and I just floated aimlessly, letting the waves carry me around. The day with Edward and his friends was better than I could have ever imagined. Jake and Mike were adorable and so sweet. Both Alice and I felt as if we had been friends with them forever.

Then there was Edward, sexy, sweet, sexy, and funny. Did I mention he was sexy? I'd expected to be nervous and a bit shy around him. But, he made hanging out with him seem effortless. He'd laugh at himself when Jake told an embarrassing story about him, and in the next breath hit me with his sexy smirk. I felt breathless and exhilarated just being with him.

After Alice had regaled them with drag-gate, Jake and Mike took Alice down to surf as some decent swells had started to roll in. Edward asked me if I wanted to go, but I was feeling pretty lazy so, we decided to cool off in the water. I was surprised that he didn't fill the silence with mindless chatter, what made it even better was that the silence felt comfortable. I was one who usually hated the quiet, but Edward made it feel peaceful. Of course, there was the feeling of electricity that arced between us. It was an ever present feeling of warmth and tingles that raced through my body. I found myself sneaking glances at my nipples, worried that they were poking through the thin suit and broadcasting to everyone how affected I was by Edward.

In all, it was an amazing day.

A disturbance in the water around me found me upright and Edward's smiling face looking at me.

"How you doing, cooling off?" There was genuine concern to his words and it thrilled me that he cared.

I nodded my head. "Yeah, feeling good. Thanks for coming out with me. I'm sure you would've preferred to go surfing."

Shrugging his shoulders, he waved off my words. "I want to spend time with you. Plus, we're both going to be here for the entire summer, there'll be plenty of time to go surfing, hopefully with you." His words suffused me with a happiness that he wanted to spend much more time with me. I knew I wanted it.

"I can't wait to surf. It's been a while, and we didn't get waves like this back home." My eyes watched as a group of surfers cut through the waves in a dramatic fashion.

"Where is home for you?"

Looking back at him, I saw that he seemed truly interested.

"Seattle, born and raised."

He gave a low whistle. "You a grunge girl?"

I chuckled. "What self-respecting Seattleite isn't a grunge lover at heart?" I tried to keep the smile off my face, but watching his face get all serious agreeing with me I lost it. "No, never have been and never will be a grunge girl. I couldn't get into the sound."

Edward laughed at me and together we walked back to our towels. Alice and the boys were still off surfing so we had some private time and I was looking forward to getting to know Edward without an audience.

"Tell me about you. Where's home?" I brushed out my hair to keep the tangles down to a minimum while Edward rummaged in the cooler for a bottle of water. He took a large gulp before he answered.

"Minnesota, St. Paul, more specifically. Just like you, born and raised. Got any siblings?" My eyes were riveted to the small drop of water that clung to his cleft chin. It took me a few moments to realize he was waiting for a reply.

"Umm, no, an only child, thank goodness. My parents had a hard time raising me, adding another child would have been hell." He gave me a puzzled look, complete with puckered brows. I heaved a deep sigh. "My parents divorced when I was eleven. If you ask me, they waited too long. I only have memories of them fighting. My mom, Renee, is a free spirit and Seattle wasn't exciting enough. My dad was a blue collar worker on the docks and liked the simple life. She left him and never looked back. I unfortunately became part of her tug of war when she felt like being maternal." I tried unsuccessfully to keep the bitterness out of my voice.

I chanced a glance at Edward and I was surprised to see no pity, just concern and maybe sadness. Maybe he was one the unlucky ones like me who knew the hell divorce could be on kids.

"Sorry for the heavy. There is just no sugarcoating my family. Long story short, mom is now in Arizona following some baseball player who is like 10 years younger than her and my dad is retired and married to a wonderful school teacher. What's your life story?"

For a second, the sadness I thought I saw became more pronounced. His entire body shrunk inward and his eyes turned glassy. But before I could offer some type of comment, he shook it off and gave me a wistful look.

"I grew up with my mom, Esme, and her husband, Carlisle. He adopted me when they got married when I was twelve. My dad died when I was six." His voice was a soft whisper and I let the silence envelope us. Any platitudes of condolences or comfort would seem out of place. So I gave him the space to collect himself. "He was a police officer and he was shot during a routine domestic violence call. He never had time to draw his gun, he was shot before he even knocked on the door."

This time I couldn't stop my reaction if I had wanted to. In the blink of an eye, my hand found his and I gave it a gentle squeeze. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him close his eyes and his lips lift in a smile. I would have liked to believe that my hand squeeze gave him even a minuscule amount of comfort.

"Carlisle is great. I couldn't have asked for a better man for my mom and he was amazing with me. He has an older son from a previous marriage. His name is Emmett and he's a Marine stationed in California with his wife Rose. They are expecting their first child in the fall."

I could hear the love and admiration he had not only for Carlisle, but for Emmett as well. It amazed me that he went through such tragedy at such a young age and still managed to come out to be a wonderful person. What he went through was far worse than what I experienced. He gave me hope that I would find my way past my own sadness.

To break the pall of sadness round us I bumped his shoulder and when he looked over at me, I gave him my brightest smile.

"How about we go for another swim, Uncle Edward?"

His laughter chased away the sadness and I breathed a sigh of relief. I had dealt with enough sadness in the last few months and wanted to feel the happiness that had surrounded us just moments before.

"You know," he stated thoughtfully, "this is the first time anyone ever called me uncle. I kinda like it. I hope it's a girl so I can teach her shit to give Em a heart attack." When I saw the mischievous look in his eyes I knew we had left the darkness behind.

"Well, if you need ideas, you got a girl right here. I'm sure I could give you a few ideas that would make your brother's hair turn gray."

We forgot all about swimming. Instead we lay in the warm sun talking and laughing. When our friends returned we were wrapped in our own little bubble. Having them back was like cold water being dumped on you when you're warm and cozy, it was a harsh return to reality.

Later that night as Alice and I were watching a movie, she turned to me with a smile and hugged me.

"You're going to be just fine, Bells. I can tell."

"What was that all about?"

Her smile just got wider. "Just you with Edward, it's a cool thing to witness." I tried in vain to get her to explain herself, but her only reply was that one day I would understand.

I pushed her words to the back of my mind dismissing them as nothing more than Alice's fanciful ideas. But as I snuggled in my bed, my last thoughts were about how I hardly thought of Quil and I couldn't wait to see Edward again.

**A/N: Ohhh a little more backstory on them both! Just an FYI- I wont be writing each day in a chpater.. there will be some time jumps but that comes later... Soooo.. I would love to hear your thoughts... hit me with them! As always, we will have TEASE ME BABY Saturday where teasers for next week chapters are posted in my Facebook group- link on my profile. Come join us! See ya then!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: ow that they have done the get to know you thing.. the real fun begins!**

**Thanks to my ladies: Sandy, Dawn, Nikki and Mandi for their pre-reading and support! To Pixiekat who loves me even with all my weird issues.. and marked them up with a red pen!**

**I dont own Twilight.. ENJOY!**

CH 11

EPOV

I looked up into Bella's shining brown eyes and swallowed the ball of fear that threatened to choke me. I couldn't believe that she talked me into this. The heavy set guy finished strapping me in and tested the ropes and straps and I closed my eyes against the nausea.

"I can't wait!" squealed Bella. She hopped in place, already attached to the harness. Excitement oozed from her and I cursed its infectiousness. She made it sound like so fun when she saw the sign for parasailing. My heart stuttered when she grabbed my hand and dragged me over before I could even voice complaint.

When my brain had cleared enough to know where we were and what she wanted to do, I didn't have the heart to back out. Her smile was wide and so fucking breathtaking. How could I ever tell her no? The boat pilot slid the papers in front of me and with every stroke of the pen, Bella's body vibrated with happiness. The entire time she was getting strapped in she smiled and went on and on about how she couldn't wait to get in the air.

I was about to show how much of a pussy I was and wet my pants in fright, when her small arm wrapped around me and she held her phone out to one of the crewmen.

"Take a picture of us?"

When he had the phone, her other arm came across my stomach and I stopped breathing. Her warm scent of vanilla swirled around me and I forgot anything but the feel of her next to me. I had just enough presence of mind to wrap my arms around her and pull her close. She fit perfectly below my chin, like we had been created for each other. Her body molded to mine from head to toe, and I could feel every inch of her pressed up against me. My hand rested on the small of her back, while the other cradled her to my chest. I could feel her warm breath on my bare skin and it made me think wicked thoughts.

Sadly in the blink of an eye, it was all over, she had stepped back, and we were getting last minute instructions. Everything was happening so fast, I had no idea what to do because I was still struck stupid by the beautiful girl next to me. With each passing second that brought us closer to being launched into the air, she couldn't keep still. Her feet bounced in the sand and her head swiveled back and forth looking for the pilot of the boat.

"Let's go!" she shouted and then laughed. "Aren't you excited, Edward? This will be amazing, I know it! I'm glad I paid for the video CD. Come on slow pokes. I wanna fly!"

She left me no space to reply and what would I have said? There was no way I wanted to rain on her parade. So I sucked down the fear and tried to find some well of courage. Luckily for me, I didn't have too much time to dwell on what was going down. So transfixed on Bella, I never heard them ask us if we were ready. I heard Bella shout we were and then I felt myself being pulled along the sand.

I ran to try and keep up, but when my parachute opened and lifted me up, I jerked against my bonds and couldn't help the scream of fright that escaped. A glance over at Bella showed that she was laughing and screaming in delight. She looked so relaxed and at ease in her harness. Her head swiveled to catch the panoramic view before us.

A few minutes into the ride, the tension and anxiety of dying eased and I was left with a sense of elation and excitement. The water sparkled like millions of diamonds and Bella's gasps of happiness were music to my ears. Over the roar of the boat's engine and the wind rushing by my ears, I heard Bella scream for me.

I turned my head to see her giving me a thumbs up with a beaming smile. Seeing her enjoy herself so much, I was glad I got to experience that with her. Her happiness was worth my momentary fear and nerves. Somewhere along the ride I found myself giving into the moment. The landscape was spectacular. Miles of water and sand stretched out before us, while the sun beat down on us. I could see why Bella talked me into going. You really felt as if you were flying.

As the ride wound down, the sight of the water rushing toward us didn't deter me from the exhilaration that I felt. With a huge splash we came back to earth and didn't miss the final shout of happiness that came from Bella. I tried to laugh but then I ended up with a mouthful of salty water which burned as it came out my nose.

When I found myself on dry land and free from my harness, I looked at Bella whose entire face was lit up and a smile stretched from ear to ear. But that wasn't even the best part, no, that came later when she was free from the straps and buckles. When the last one fell to the sand below, she ran and launched herself at me and I gladly scooped her up. I spun her around and loved how she threw her head back and laughed.

I wanted to freeze this moment, to keep it forever and never forget how she felt in my arms. And, when I felt her lips on my cheek, in such a sweet, chaste kiss, I was lost. She captured my heart and took it for her own. Too bad it wasn't until much later that I realized this was the moment that changed everything for us. I would have done more to make it last.

Later that night, found us on our backs as we star gazed on the banks of the river near Marcus' house. A comfortable silence fell across us both and it felt natural. I could just be and not have to worry about the perfect thing to say.

"Thanks for today, Edward." Her soft whisper broke the quiet and I turned to face her. Her cheeks were pink from all the sun we had gotten and her eyes still held a glimmer of the excitement of the day. Yet, I got the feeling her words were more than just for today. She truly looked happy. Not the quiet, withdrawn girl I meet on the beach just days earlier. I knew there was a reason why she wore sadness around her like a cloak, but if I could help her shed it and find something to smile about, then my time with her would be worth it.

"You're welcome, Bella. I had a blast." We stared at each other for a few heart beats, the air between us crackled with energy and my fingers itched to touch her. Instead of giving into temptation, I just looked at her, letting the unspoken promises of what the summer could hold for us fill the silence. I was rewarded for my hesitation with a smile and a squeeze of her fingers.

I made myself a promise that night as a small shower of falling stars filled the sky, I was going to kiss Bella and I was going to do it soon.

**A/N: Ohhhhh that sounds like a fun time.. and hmm.. Edward really likes her! What were your thoughts on the chapter? How long will it take them to kiss? Please leave me a review... they make me smile! Until Thursday!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Ohh you guys make me smile! Thank you for all the reviews and faves! *smooches***

**I want to thank my ladies: Nikki, Mandi, Dawn & Sandy who give me lots of suport. To Pixiekat who waved her red pen and made this chapter pretty!**

**Disclaimer: I dont own Twilight...just lack the common sense to live where its freezing.. I need to head to the beach! ENJOY!**

Ch 12

BPOV

Parasailing changed things between Edward and me. It was in the air that surrounded us. The looks between us turned heated, there were numerous small, accidental touches, and we couldn't stop looking at each other. It was a heady feeling, one that I was unprepared for. I felt consumed by it. The energy that arced between us crackled with intensity and desire. My body reacted to Edward in unfamiliar ways. He made me feel alive, brave, sexy, and happy. He made the darkness disappear and let only the sun through. I reveled in the feelings he caused when I was near him.

Four days after parasailing, Edward finally brought me over to meet Marcus. It seemed Marcus had threatened to kick him out if he didn't bring me around. According to Mike, Edward supposedly talked non-stop about me and it was killing Marcus to be the only one who hadn't met me.

So plans were made for a cook-out over at their house. Alice was invited as well and I was happy to have her with me. I'd expressed on several occasions just how overwhelmed I felt by everything with Edward. I knew it would be so easy to get carried away. But things between us had an expiration date and I just wasn't sure I wanted to treat Edward like something that was expendable. He was too kind for that.

In typical fashion, she rolled her eyes and told me that I was over thinking it all. "For once in your life Bella, just have fun, and let the chips fall where they may. No one is saying you have to fall in love with him. As long as you don't make promises of forever, then you both are on the same page of knowing it's only for the summer. This isn't rocket science, Bella." She rolled her eyes once more and went to her room.

Once I took a figurative step back, I realized she was right. As long as I didn't promise him more than this summer, when it was time to go, things would end and we would be left with wonderful memories. The worry and tension left me and I decided to go with the flow. I could enjoy Edward, have a kick ass summer, and finally find a way to set Quil free. Then with the start of school in September, it would be as if it was a fresh beginning.

So when Edward mentioned meeting Marcus, I agreed with a sense of ease and rightness. I could do this; enjoy my summer with Edward, with no expectations or labels. It was a freeing feeling. So I skipped around my room, hair in curlers, and standing in front of the mirror debating between two sundresses the afternoon of the cookout.

With a little intervention from Alice in the form of threatening to drive me over there in my ratty t-shirt and yoga shorts, I emerged with my hair in soft waves and a deep blue sundress that swirled around my knees. A quick stop at the liquor store for wine and I found myself on the steps of Marcus' house with butterflies in my stomach.

They erupted into a full riot when Edward answered the door in black khaki shorts and green polo shirt that made his eyes seem like they sparkled. I was momentarily stunned speechless, until Alice nudged me with her elbow.

"Hello, Edward." I swallowed, trying to get some wetness into my parched mouth. My eyes couldn't help but roam over is body, the sight of which caused my body to erupt in chills.

"Afternoon ladies. You both look beautiful," he stated, but his eyes never left mine. His stare left me feeling more than a little naked and I had a fleeting thought of us naked together. "Come in." His words broke through my lust induced thoughts as he beckoned us in with a sweep of his hand. I felt Edward brush his hand against mine; that small touch sent shivers racing up my spine.

Before I could even process the room we were in, a rather distinguished older man came bounding in from another room with Mike and Jake hot on his heels. Their smiles should have warned me, but I was still feeling dazzled by Edward.

"You must be Bella. I'm Marcus, this numb-nuts uncle and you're far prettier than Edward told me." In a flash he had my hand in his and he was laying a soft kiss on the back of it. "Would you like a drink?" He glanced at the wine in my hand and smiled at me while he pulled me along. "You brought wine. You must be a girl after my own heart. Let's get it open and have a toast."

Bewildered, I followed Marcus to the kitchen. He dropped my hand, took the wine from me, and then went to rummage for a corkscrew and wine glasses. I felt the air shift around me and felt the warm presence of Edward. He hip-checked me and when I looked up at him, he winked and then rolled his eyes at Marcus. I flushed at the fact that his body was so close, I felt the warmth as it washed over me.

"Cut the dramatics, ass. You're old enough to be her dad and that's a frightening thought," snarked Edward. A booming laugh from the other side of the room had me smiling.

"Hey, May to December romances happen all the time." Marcus set a glass with the fragrant wine in front of me and gave me a silent toast with his own. "Here's to hoping she learns who the better man is." I couldn't help but laugh as I tipped my glass to him and then took a sip.

The whole night was a blast. Marcus was an amazing cook, I had never had grilled pork chops and his were so tender. He kept us all entertained with stories growing up with Edward's mom and even threw in a few about Edward. I had never laughed so much, my stomach and cheeks were hurting.

"You mean he actually went out into the snow buck naked?" asked Alice through a fit of hysterics. Marcus was telling us a story about Edward when he was about six.

Marcus nodded and smirked. "According to his mom he had heard that people in Norway did it and when he learned he was part Norwegian, he decided he should as well. He almost got frost bite on his nether regions. His mother was beside herself when she found him."

The whole table erupted into laughter while Edward glared at his uncle. The small twitch of his lips let me know that he wasn't really mad, just embarrassed.

"Okay, enough of the picking on Edward show or I start bringing out the heavy duty stories I know." He pinned the boys with a dark stare with tempered with mirthful eyes.

Marcus raised his hands in surrender. "Fine, fine, I know when you can't take a joke." He got a wicked glint in his eyes when he suggested, "Let's play some cards."

We stayed until well after midnight. It was one of the best days I had ever had and I was pleased I went. I was tired, happy, and a bit tipsy when Edward walked me out to our car. Alice had gone ahead to give us some privacy. I was leaning on him, his hand rested on the small of my back as we stopped on the porch.

"Thanks for today, Edward, I had a blast. Marcus is a hoot." I gave him a soft smile. I paused on the step, waiting for something as I wasn't ready for the night to end.

"It was great you could come over tonight. I hope you can forgive Marcus. He's an old perv." We both smiled and then stared at each other.

I knew what was going to happen. I had been anticipating it all night. Edward was barely two feet from me all day and he touched me whenever he could. I licked my lips and Edward's eyes focused on that small movement. His hands rested on my hips and I felt his fingers flex minutely. Neither of us was breathing, the air was thick with desire. In slow motion, Edward closed the distance between us until I could feel his ragged breath on my face.

His eyes remained open and his gaze pinned me with its intensity. I knew he wanted to make sure I was okay with this, but I was beyond okay. I wanted it. I closed my eyes and bridged the small gap. Our lips touched chastely at first, just a gentle pressure of lip on lip. But then his hands pulled me flush with his body and I could feel every hard ridge and muscle. One hand cupped the back of my neck and the feel of it made me gasp.

That was all the invitation he needed. His tongue slipped into my mouth and the kiss deepened. Instinctively I wrapped my arms around his neck and met him action for action. I explored and tasted him as he teased and nipped. There was give and take, a push and pull that engaged all our senses. I was acutely aware that I had never experienced a first kiss like this and it made me hunger for more.

I felt Edward growl low in his chest, the vibrations rumbled against my nipples and I couldn't help but whimper against his lips. The sound of a passing car penetrated the bubble we created and finally caused us to pull away. I felt that my lips were swollen, and I rejoiced in the sight of Edward's labored breathing. I stumbled back a step and when Edward didn't follow me, I knew the moment was over.

"Good night, Edward."

"Good night, Bella."

I felt his eyes on me as I slid into the waiting car. Without a word, Alice pulled away with a knowing smirk.

**A/N: Hmm... I love me some first kisses.. they are the best! *swoony sigh* **

**Remember on Saturday in my Facebook group I post teasers for next weeks chapters... link to join is on my FF profile page.**

**Ok ladies... we've heard from Bella.. she seems a bit conflicted.. as well as resolute that things will last for the summer only... What do YOU think about it all? Please leave me your thoughts... I love to hear them! See ya on Saturday for the teasers and a new chapter on Monday!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Ohh you all loved the kiss and I dont blame you! *sigh* It was swoony! I think you will love the next several chapters!**

**As always- love to my ladies: Nikki, Dawn, Sandy and Mandi- they pre-read and allow me to bounce my crazy ideas off them! To my sweet beta- pixiekat- she makes it all pretty! Read the A/N at the end.. got some cool news!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twiligh- but I do own this story! ENJOY!**

Ch 13

EPOV

Her fingers were on my shoulder, tracing the swirling lines and letters. I could barely suppress a shudder at her touch; it was so light and soft. All I could think about was her touching me in places far south and it was creating a bit of a tent in my board shorts. I closed my eyes as I just absorbed the feeling of her touch.

"What does it say? I can tell it's not English." Her voice was soft and quiet. We were on the beach resting after surfing for most of the morning. Alice and the boys had gone to get some food and water as our trip to the beach was spur of the moment.

"Famiglia Sempre, it's Italian." I was about to translate it when Bella beat me to it.

"Family Always?" she asked. I nodded, very surprised she knew at least a little Italian.

"Do you speak Italian?" I questioned.

She shook her head making her ponytail swing from side to side. "No, not really. I know a few words. My dad's grandma was from Italy and she taught my dad a few words and he taught them to me. I barely remember most of them." She smiled at me and for a moment I got lost in her smile.

"Why did you get it, if I can ask? I know that tatts can be very personal."

I paused, not because I didn't want to tell her, but for the fact that I _wanted_ to tell her. I normally brush people off with a "it's personal" response and they drop it. But after our conversation about our families last week and the kiss a few nights ago, I found myself wanting to share more with Bella.

"It was something that Marcus drilled into my head in that time after my dad died and when Carlisle came into the picture. It stuck with me. When I turned eighteen, he took me to get a tattoo and this is what I got." I chuckled. "My mom was not happy about it, but she knew I was of age and there wasn't anything she could say. She tore Marcus a new asshole. But when I told her what it meant, her opinion softened a bit."

"Thank you for sharing," she stated simply. It was moments like this that made me realize Bella was an awesome person. Most people would have no clue how to react to my little story, but not Bella. She seemed to just get me and knew what to say to keep things from getting awkward.

Smiling I nudged her shoulder. "So, do you have any ink?" I let my eyes roam over her body, looking for hidden ink that I may have missed. The bikini bottoms she had on didn't hide much, but she was also wearing a surf shirt. I couldn't remember seeing a tatt on her upper body before.

"Nope," she replied. "I have no ink. I never had a desire to mark my body like that. It's so permanent and I worry that I'd later regret it and then be stuck with it." She laughed at herself.

Unable to help myself, I gave the tip of her nose a peck. "That's not an unusual thought, most people feel that way. Some people go there whole lives without ink."

"Do you think you'll ever get another one? I've heard once you get one, they can be addicting."

I nodded. "The thought has crossed my mind a few times, but I have no clear ideas for what I want. So I'll wait for inspiration to strike." Bella gave me a thoughtful smile.

Before either of us was able to say anything more, our friends had returned with bags of food and drink. Since we were all starving, there was very little talking as we all dug into the burgers and shakes they had brought. In amazement, I watched Bella as she concocted the weirdest mixture of ketchup and mayo. My face scrunched up in disgust.

"Why you making that face, Edward?" asked Alice.

I pointed to what Bella was doing. "That's why! What are you doing, Bella?"

She looked up at me, a thick drop of ketchup on her finger. I watched as her tongue wrapped around the tip as she licked up the red condiment.

"I'm making super sauce. Want some?" She gestured to the gloppy mix on the wrapper in front of her and I shook my head.

"Eww, no thanks. That looks gross." I took a bite out of the bacon double cheeseburger while watching warily as Bella dipped a few fries in the mixture and then hummed as she chewed.

"It's amazing! Try it." I looked over at Alice who was smiling at me.

Bella was nodding her head. "Yes, try it. It's so good on fries." She dredged a few fries in the mess and held them out to me.

Everyone started to badger me into tasting the sauce. Mike and Jake started to call me a pussy and Alice was talking trash. But my eyes were riveted on Bella. Her eyes were twinkling and her lips curved into a wicked smile.

When she saw I wasn't budging, no matter what anyone said, she leaned over and hovered near my ear. Her breath tickled my neck as I felt her breathing.

"Wanna taste it off my lips?" That one question had me parts of me standing at attention and speechless.

Bella scooted closer to me and smeared some the mixture on her pinkie. She was so close that I felt as if she surrounded me. I watched as her chest rose and fell in even but rapid breaths. I could smell the sun on her skin and the slight tang of the salt from the ocean hung in the air. All too soon her lips were painted with swirls of ketchup and mayo and they lingered before mine.

I had no clue what to do, my brain had shut down. I ached to kiss her again. Ever since that night on Marcus' porch, I've wanted to taste her. They hung in the air above mine and the urge to slam my lips on hers was strong.

"Do it," she whispered and I knew I'd lost the battle.

I brushed my lips to hers, tasting the mishmash of condiments. I didn't even notice much of the taste; all I focused on was the feel of the kiss. Unlike the other one, this one was tender and soft. I licked the sauce off and then tasted the inside of her mouth. Her hands ran through my hair and my hands flirted with the edge of her swim suit.

I knew her breasts were free under that shirt and I wanted nothing more than to sweep my hands under it to feel their weight. Instead, I contented myself with rubbing the sliver of skin above her bikini bottoms. I was rewarded with a shiver from Bella before her skin broke out in goose bumps.

Meanwhile our lips and tongues slowly danced and mingled as we deepened the kiss. A strangled whimper escaped from Bella and the knowledge that she was as lost in this kiss as I was, made me giddy with excitement. The longer we kissed, the more I wanted it to turn X-rated. Yet I was mindful of the fact that we were out in public. We needed to stop.

With strength I wasn't sure I possessed, I broke free from her lips and rested my forehead on hers. Our breathing was raspy and panting, so we spent a few minutes in that position waiting for things to calm back down. A quick glance out of the corner of my eyes showed me that our friends were pointedly ignoring us. I was certain that it was Alice's doing, because I knew my friends would've been ribbing me from the second the kiss started.

"So, what did ya think of the super sauce?" whispered Bella.

I smiled before I quipped, "I like it as a lipstick." I winked and we both broke into laughter.

"I'll have to remember that." She winked and it warmed my heart.

"Go out with me tonight. Like a date." I asked without any conscious thought.

I pulled back to look when I got no answer to see Bella was staring at me with a shocked expression.

"Well?" I asked.

**A/N: *hides* Soo sorry for the cliffie! But hey.. I gave you a kiss in supersauce! Raise your hand if you've ever had it! Its sooo good on fries- sweet potato ones especially! For those in my FB group.. you got a clue as to Bella's answer in the teaser I posted.. go run..look! For those of you NOT in my group- click the link in my FF profile! If you've ever read one of my stories before,you know I love to write outtakes that the readers ask for.. and to do that.. I usually give them away! Since I'm pretty close to finishing up this story, (note I'm writing ch 50). I will let the reader who gives me review #500 pick the topic of an outtake. I'm a bit far from that.. but.. we will get there.. So get your thinking caps on!**

**Ok.. soo.. let me hear your thoughts! PLEASE?! See ya Thursday!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Ohhh! You all want to know about the date.. and you shall!**

**Love to Sandi, Mandi, Nikki and Dawn fro all the supporet pre-reading and my beta- Pixiekat who loves me and all my writing quirks!**

**ENJOY!**

Ch 14

BPOV

"Stop fidgeting Bella or I'm going to burn you," admonished my Aunt. She was helping me getting ready for my date with Edward which was going to start in little less than an hour.

"Sorry, Aunt Cyn." I started to chew on my lip and Alice smacked my arm.

"Stop that! I won't do your make-up if you keep chewing on your lip. Do you want your lips to look all red and raw?" I looked up to see her glaring at me.

I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm my nerves and settle the butterflies in my stomach. With a gentle pressure, my Aunt began to rub my neck and shoulders in a circular motion. I closed my eyes to let the soothing motions of her touch calm my frazzled nerves. Her hands paused on my shoulders after a few minutes and she stared at me in the mirror I was sitting in front of while she did my hair. "Feel better?"

I nodded and gave her a grateful smile. Reaching up, I gave her hand a soft squeeze in appreciation. She returned the gesture before she picked up the curling iron and threw a few bobby pins into her mouth.

"Stay still."

I tried not to freak out about my date. Edward was so sweet in trying to make me feel comfortable by telling me that we didn't have to call it a date that we could call it hanging out when I didn't reply to his question straight away. When I was able to gather my wits, I told him that calling it a date was just fine. The smile he gave me when I said yes was blinding. His peck on my cheek left me dazzled.

About an hour ago he told me where we were going and that he would pick me up at seven. Another glance at the clock told me that he would be arriving in less than forty minutes and I still hadn't picked out what I was going to wear. I tried not to freak about that little fact, knowing that it would cause me to chew my lip or fidget and then all hell would break loose.

Instead, I closed my eyes again, and concentrated on the slow and even rhythm of my breathing. It worked so well that I reached a semi-meditative state and was jarred from it when Cynthia declared my hair done.

Opening my eyes, I was awestruck by the magic she weaved. She had pulled my hair up so it rested on the back of my head and then created a cascading wave of curls that barely brushed the nape of my neck. She left wispy tendrils at my temples. It was sweet and sexy all at the same time. Looking at her, I could see she was awaiting my reaction. I pulled her into a tight hug.

"It's beautiful, Aunt Cyn. Thank you."

Less than fifteen minutes later, Alice had helped me do my make-up natural and soft leaving my eyes to be the one popping feature. We had all agreed on a long halter sundress that was full of swirling blues and greens. When the doorbell rang less than five minutes after I was ready, I had to will my stomach not to revolt.

When I made it up stairs, Uncle Liam had let Edward in and was talking to him. Turned out, my aunt and uncle knew Marcus. He had worked for the accounting firm that Uncle Liam's company used and they ran into each other from time to time. When Cynthia knew who Edward was related to, she gave me a sly wink and whispered, "He's a hottie and being Marcus's kin, he'll be fun."

I threw her a dirty look, but was unable to sling back a retort as Edward slid up next to me and slipped his hand into mine.

"You look beautiful, Bella." He gave me a chaste kiss on my cheek. "Ready to go?"

Alice handed me my purse and I nodded. "Let's go." I looked back at Alice and Cynthia, waved, and mouthed my thanks. They winked and gave me thumbs up.

The ride was rather quiet. Edward pointed out various things that were unique to the area and that we might want to hit during the summer. His enthusiasm was so infectious that I couldn't help but smile at him. Before too long, we pulled in front of an adorable restaurant that was made to look like a Tiki hut.

"Sea Witch Tiki Bar? I love it!" Edward's shoulders dropped as if he was worried I wouldn't like his choice. It was at that moment I realized he was just as nervous as I was and it caused me to relax. We were two normal people out on a date and both of us were a little nervous. Yet, in all honestly, there was no reason for me to be anxious. I knew Edward. I've spent the last two weeks with him. The only difference was now it was just the two of us.

_Alone._

I could handle being with Edward alone. I mean, it's just Edward.

Before I could freak out about being alone with Edward, the hostess was seating us on the outdoor patio and taking our drink order. We spent a few minutes deciding what we were going to eat in companionable silence. However, when we put our menu's down to wait for our waitress, the silence grew thick and heavy. In slow motion, Edward reached across the table to clasp our hands together. He gave me a soft smile I couldn't help but return.

"Is this okay, Bella?" He nodded at our hands and gave me an expectant look.

I nodded and was saved from having to say anything else as our waitress appeared at our table to take our orders. She departed too quickly for my liking and the quiet once more descended upon us.

"Tell me more about you, Bella. How does a girl from the West end up on the East Coast?" He gave me such an earnest look that it was hard not to deny him my rather boring story.

A spent a few minutes gathering my thoughts before I turned back to him. "It's nothing too fancinating. Alice and I had always wanted to go to New York. It seemed like it would be a great adventure. When it came time for college, we only looked out East." I took a sip of the dirty martini I had ordered, the alcohol, easing my nerves.

"We both got scholarships to attend NYU, the rest is history." I sat back and tried to wrack my brain for a question to ask him. I was unsuccessful as I was befuddled by his presence. Edward taking my silence as a cue to ask more questions, charged forward.

"Why become a dental hygienist? It seems such an odd choice to go all the way across the country for."

I smiled at his inquisitive nature. "To be honest, it wasn't planned. I wanted to be a nurse, but I discovered I can't stand the sight of someone else's blood. So in doing some research I found out that hygienists make some good money, it seemed to be a no brainer." I laughed. "I know, I'm in it for the money. Unlike you, everyone knows teachers don't make nearly enough. Makes me sound shallow doesn't it?"

Instead of finding Edward laughing at me, he was shaking his head. "Not shallow, Bella. Just honest and that's really fucking sexy."

**A/N: Aww.. Edward is a charmer. Just an FYI- this date will last thru the next 2 chapters.. so we're not done yet! Remember, join us for TEASE ME BABY Saturday in my group on Facebook. If your not a member- link is on my FF profile!**

**Now.. tell me.. is the date getting off to a good start? How will it end? Reviews make me smile! See ya Monday!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Thanks for all the love! *smooches* To Mandi, Nikki, Sandy and Dawn- thanks for pre-reading. To pixiekat- my super awesome beta who makes everything sparkle- squishy hugs.**

**Shall we continue with the date? ENJOY!**

Ch 15

EPOV

_Did I just call her sexy?_

That was all I could think as soon as the words left my mouth. I wanted to cringe and hide under the table. How lame could I be? Just as I was going to apologize for making her uncomfortable, she busted out laughing. Glancing up, I saw her wiping her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I'm not laughing at you, just how you said it. It was so dead serious." She sat back and tried to catch her breath. I was spared from trying to find a reply by the waitress bring our food. The aroma of the shrimp tacos filled the air and we turned our attention to the food placed before us.

"Would you like another drink?" she asked and we both nodded rather quickly.

When she left, we dug into our meals as way to escape the weirdness that seemed to permeate the air between us. Of course, all attempts to keep my thoughts out of the gutter were lost when Bella started to moan with every bite she took. The first moan had me snapping my head up to look at her and I almost groaned at the sight I was greeted to.

Bella had her eyes closed in appreciation when her tongue had darted out to collect some of the guacamole that was smeared at the corner of her lips. Parts of me reacted when I witnessed her lips wrapping around her taco. I couldn't help it. Watching her eat was fucking erotic.

So lost in the haze of food porn, I didn't noticed Bella had stopped eating and was now giving me a puzzled look.

"Are you okay, Edward? Does your food taste bad?" There was real concern in her words and it made me smile. Of course, it also jolted me from me reverie.

"Um, no, it's fine. I just spaced out for a minute." I shoved a bite into my mouth and looked away.

I needed to find a way to get this date back on track and fast. Lucky for me, Bella broke the silence before it grew to unbearably uncomfortable heights.

"So, Edward, tell me, what made you want to be a teacher?" The question was so very innocent, but I felt as if the answer would make me feel exposed. So it came to know surprise that I felt the heat of a blush on my cheeks. I'd usually been able to avoid discussing why I chose teaching.

"Um…" I cleared my throat a few times as I fiddled with my silverware. As I scrambled for words, a soft warm hand covered my fidgety one. Looking up, Bella's gaze was so gentle and non-judgmental. The tension leaked out of my body. This was Bella. I knew instinctually that she wasn't going to mock me or my reasons.

Her lips curved in a sweet smile, her brown eyes twinkled as she worked her magic to put me at ease.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," she stated. I could sense the honesty in her words. If I decided not to answer the question, she wouldn't pry. But I found myself wanting to answer, to let Bella know me a little better.

"It's a combination of three people; a really good teacher and Marcus and Carlisle." I found that once I started talking, I couldn't stop. "The teacher, Mr. Varner, was my favorite teacher and was a great help after my dad died. He used to make me do math problems until my eyes swam. He once told me that when the rest of the world didn't make sense, numbers did. It was one of the ways I coped. Odd, I know, but it worked." I paused and shook my head at the memory of Mr. Varner.

"How did Carlisle and Marcus help you?"

Looking at her I smiled. "When I got the crazy idea about following in my dad's footsteps to become a cop, it freaked my mom out. I just wanted to give back, like my dad did, you know?" Bella nodded her head without saying a word, allowing me to continue my story.

"They convinced me that I could give back just as much by being a teacher and reminded me how much Mr. Varner helped me when I needed it most. After that it seemed to be a no brainer." I shrugged, a little embarrassed.

"I'm glad you went the teaching route. You're much too pretty to be a cop." The twitching of her lips told me this was her way of diffusing my discomfort.

"Too pretty, huh? I'm not sure I want to be seen as pretty, Bella. I've always seen myself as more ruggedly handsome." I winked and took a bite of my own taco.

"Touché, Edward." She toasted me with her drink.

In that moment, I knew our date and things between Bella and I were going to be just fine.

**A/N: I know.. its a short chappie. In my defense, I wanted to make it longer but Edward refused to talk. I think its becasue he was too befudled by Bella eating to talk, he said that we needed to see most of this date through Bella's eyes. Silly boy! Leave me some love... reviews make me happy on a Monday! See ya on Thursday!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: This is the last part of the date.. and my fave. After this we will see more time jumps!**

**Love as always to the wonderful team of ladies that help me pre-read: Dawn, Sandy, Mandi & Nikki! To pixiekat who I love and gives me beta love in return... *smooches***

**ENJOY!**

Ch 16

BPOV

After the awkwardness subsided, we were both able to relax and enjoy each other's company. We made a list of things we wanted to see and do in the coming weeks. He invited me to Marcus' annual July Fourth bash. The happiness that shone in his eyes when I accepted took my breath away.

I'd never seen anyone who was so open and honest with their feelings, especially a man. Edward was a breath of fresh air for me. His sweet, warm personality made it easy for me to be completely comfortable with him. There were no games or hidden agendas. With him, what you saw is what you got.

I was shaken out of my musings when the band took to the stage to warm up. The crowd dining on the patio turned expectant faces toward the stage. From the murmurings around us, it appeared that the band performed at the restaurant often and had a small local following. Edward and I had finished with dinner and were waiting for our dessert to arrive. As the waitress came with our goodies, the band began a lively rendition of _Sweet Home Alabama_ which got the crowd on their feet. The dance floor filled with bodies.

"Marcus was right," Edward whispered yelled into my ear. His warm breath sent shivers down my spine and a smile to curve my lips.

His statement caught me with a mouthful of rich lava chocolate cake so I threw him a grin as I nodded my head. Before long I found myself bopping my head in time with the music as I looked over at Edward to see him singing with the band.

"Has Marcus seen them before," I finally asked when my mouth was free of food.

"Yeah, he said he's seen them a few times here and they're a decent band. It was another reason why I decided to come here. Do you like them?"

"So far, so good." I smiled at him as we went back to sharing our food and enjoying the music.

When the last bite was scraped from the plate, Edward slid his hand across the table, palm side up. I looked into his excited emerald eyes. I quirked a brow at him, wondering what he was doing.

"Will you dance with me, Bella?" As if it had been planned, the fast song ended and the opening notes of a Clapton song filled the air. His impish grin was irresistible and I found myself grabbing his hand with very little thought.

The soothing melody of the song wove itself around me as I followed him onto the dance floor. In a flash, Edward had me pulled to his chest, one set of our hands clasped held over his heart. He curled his other hand around my hip and I placed my free hand on his shoulder. With another gentle tug my cheek was resting on his chest and his cheek nuzzled my hair.

It felt intimate and a part of me wanted to panic, but for that moment, I wanted to be held. It had been so long and I missed the comfort it could provide, the feeling of being cared for. So I let myself get carried away by the song, the charged feel in the air and most importantly the way I fit with Edward.

We barely moved, it was more of a side to side sway with a half turn every once in a while which was more than fine with me. The faint beat of his heart sounded in rhythm with the music and it lulled me into a warm space. But when I heard Edward singing, my heart skipped a beat and I was lost. In that moment I knew I could fall for Edward so easily. I wanted to pull away, but I reminded myself that as long as I never made promises for anything beyond the summer, it would be okay. Just because I could fall for him, didn't mean that I _would_ fall for him. I just had to keep my wits about me.

Instead of focusing on the future and the end of summer, I concentrated on the here and now… on Edward. Who at that moment, was singing the sweetest song ever. Maybe for that night I could just enjoy the romance, and the anticipation of love that hung in the air. Edward made it so easy to forget anything but how I felt in his arms.

_It's late in the evening; she's wondering what clothes to wear.  
She'll put on her make-up and brushes her long blonde hair.  
And then she asks me, "Do I look all right?"  
And I say, "Yes, you look wonderful tonight."_

We go to a party and everyone turns to see  
This beautiful lady that's walking around with me.  
And then she asks me, "Do you feel all right?"  
And I say, "Yes, I feel wonderful tonight."

I let out a shuddering sigh and prayed that Edward didn't ask me what I was thinking. Because if he did, there could be no way I would admit in that perfect moment, I hoped the summer would never end. So I got lost in the rough tone of Edward's voice and let the melodies of Clapton whisk away my worries. Tomorrow was another day; I would worry about everything then.

**A/N: Doesn't that just five good feels? I'm all warm and squishy inside. Love me some Clapton and this song is so romantic without it being over the top... didn't it fit? And what do you think about Bella? Is she swimming in denial or what?**

**As always- I do TEASE ME BABY Saturday in my Facebook group (link on FF profile) come join us! Otherwise.. a new chapter comes on Monday! Please leave me some love.. they make me giggle! Also we are close to 500 so if your reviewer #500 you get to pick an outttake!**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: HAPPY ST. PATTY'S DAY! I reached 500 reviews- WOOT WOOT! shaz308 was the lucky one to hit that mark! Can't wait to see their ideas for an outtake. Love like always to the ladies that help me out: Sandy, Nikki, Dawn & Mandi! To my beta pixiekat... I fluv you!**

**Soo..now that the date is over.. let's see whats next for our young couple... ENJOY!**

Ch 17

EPOV

"You can do it, Bella. I have faith in you." She threw me a scowl and I smothered the laugh as well as the smile that threatened to erupt. "Keep a wide, low stance; center your weight on the board. You've got this!"

The warm sun shone down on the water creating millions of sparkles across its surface. It was a beautiful day, but it also a windy day that created the perfect swells for surfing. It was the ideal weather to get Bella back on the board. She was a bit skeptical when I texted our plans for the day. She tried to beg off, but I recognized the nerves coursing through her.

It took an extraordinary amount of cajoling and pleading to get her to agree to come out. Once Alice and the boys jumped on the "let's get Bella to go surfing bandwagon", she knew she wasn't going to win. I rewarded her acquiescence with a hug and a few kisses, which seemed to relax her a bit. Unfortunately that relaxation only lasted until we got to the beach and she saw the waves.

They weren't huge, less than ten feet tall. But to someone who hadn't been on a board in years, they could look rather imposing. To help ease the panic I saw building in Bella, we did some dry land work; footing, balance, and transfers. I'd thought she was going to be just fine, until we got in the water. Her eyes got large and I thought I saw a slight tremble in her hands.

It didn't help that Alice and the boys zoomed by her. I knew her well enough to know she hated being seen as weak. I made us paddle away from them and we just rode a few waves, allowing Bella to get a feel for the ebb and flow.

"You make a lousy cheerleader, Edward," she snarked and I couldn't help but laugh.

I laughed even harder when she started splashing me which only served to piss her off further. But then a determined look crossed her face as she squared her shoulders. She gave a few shakes of her head as if she was clearing out the doubts then turned to me with a resolute expression.

"Let's do this!"

Without another glance at me, she started to paddle out, angling her board to catch the next wave we saw coming toward us. I followed behind, a smile on my face at her willingness to move past her anxiety. Of course, I had to make it into a mini competition as I worked hard to catch up and then pass by her. My smirk made her scowl and she worked harder to paddle faster.

We both saw the wave that was getting ready to crest at the same time and prepared to slide up on our boards. The exhilarated yell from Bella as she managed to get up and stay up would be forever imprinted into my mind.

When we both skidded to a stop, Bella let out one hell of a whoop. I held out my hand for a high five and she gave it a hearty smack.

"Told you that you could do it." I winked to show I was just teasing.

Luckily for me, Bella tossed her head back and laughed.

"Yeah, yeah! You were right. Is that what you've been waiting for me to say?"

I nodded. "Of course. What guy doesn't want to hear that he's right? We rarely hear it!"

She rolled her eyes at me.

"Let's get back to surfing, silly man."

Just like that, Bella found her confidence and we spent the rest of the day surfing like fools. Several hours later we collapsed on our towels, our breathing labored and bodies sore from exertion. The light in Bella's eyes captured my attention. I could see how excited she was to be surfing again. It was nice to see her happy. It was a welcome change from the sadness that I could almost physically feel hovering around her. I wanted to feel her happiness and excitement so I twined our fingers together as we dried in the warm sun.

"What's this for?" she asked as she squeezed my hand.

I shrugged. "You look so happy, I just wanted to be a part of that." I closed my eyes, absorbing the heat and enjoying just being close to Bella.

When she said nothing in return, I cracked open an eye and looked over at her. She was staring at me, intently. Her eyes swirled with a mix of emotions. They came and went so fast, I wasn't sure what I was seeing; sadness, confusion, guilt, maybe even happiness. She gave me a weak smile and I wanted to ask her what was wrong.

"You're a part of it, Edward," she replied, the sincerity evident in every word. "So much."

Hating seeing her so somber, I opened my mouth to beg her to explain. But Jake came bounding over and shook his wet head over us, spraying us with water and interrupting any chance I had to figure out Bella's sadness.

"Dudes, I'm hungry, let's go get some grub." His smile was infectious, making it hard to be mad at him for his poor timing.

"Babe, when are you not hungry?" grumbled Mike. He had just slathered up with oil to work on his tan.

"When I'm eating sausage." He winked at us and held up his hands as he counted down to Mike's reaction.

"Jake! Really?" A blush spread like wild fire across his face as the rest of us laughed loud and hard. Jake gave a nonchalant shrug and blew Mike a kiss. Mike turned away from us and started to pout.

"I could eat as well. Surfing made me hungry," chimed Bella. I could've kissed her for trying to divert some of the attention from Mike.

"Sounds good, babe," I replied. "How does seafood sound? I'm hungry for some steak and shrimp."

"That sounds so good!" Alice clapped in excitement and started to pack up her belongings. With everyone in agreement, the rest of us packed up and headed out.

I glanced at Bella to see the sadness was gone and the light was once more in her eyes. The desire to discover what was going on with her was strong. But I had the uneasy feeling that once I knew the full story, things between us would change and I wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.

**A/N: So Bella is still uneasy and Edward can feel it... hmmm**

**Leave me some love... you know how I love them all! Till Thursday! Toodles!**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Ohh.. soo many eagar readers I have! Let me impart some knowledge- we will hear Bella and Quil's story next week- I promise... answers are coming!**

**To my wonderful ladies: Nikki, Sandy, Dawn and Mandi! Thanks for the support. Mucho love for pixiekat fro waving her magic beta wand and making this sparkle.**

**This is my fave ch... you'll see why... ENJOY!**

Ch 18

BPOV

"These tomatoes smell amazing. I bet they'll taste just as good." I inhaled and enjoyed the earthy smell from the ripe veggie. Auntie turned toward me and smiled.

"Let's see if they have samples," she stated and walked over toward the owner of the stand.

It was the end of June which excited my aunt as it meant the start of her beloved farmer's market season. What I failed to remember was that it also meant we had to get up early so we could get the good stuff. Or so she said. At seven am, I wasn't sure if I agreed with her. When she reminded me of the little dinner I was cooking for Edward, I reluctantly got out of bed. I wanted to impress the hell out of him, even if that meant foraging for farm fresh veggies at seven in the morning.

I found her talking to someone who held a platter of red ripe tomato wedges.

"Try one, Bells. I think they're just what you need for your sauce." She held out a juicy looking slice. When I took a bite, the flavors exploded along with all the juices. My eyes rolled back, they were delicious; perfect to make my homemade tomato basil sauce. We loaded up our basket with bunches of the tomatoes, still attached to the vine.

My excitement about dinner with Edward grew with each additional purchase. The basil was so fragrant that I bought enough to make pesto at a later in the week. I was able to find almost everything that I needed; onions, chives, green peppers and oregano. I was at a stand that sold fresh bakery items, looking for a scrumptious dessert when Auntie came up next to me.

"So, how are things with you and Edward?" Her words were soft, no hint of reproach, but I felt my spine stiffen. A glance out the corner of my eyes told me she was looking over the breads laid out before us. I could sense no hidden agenda, so I consciously made my body relax one muscle at a time.

"Good. He's fun to hang out with. His friends are great… funny and sweet. I'm glad I met them." I continued to look for a suitable dessert, but I was no longer seeing what was in front of me. My mind was busy trying to figure out what the point of her question was.

"Hmm," she replied and moved over to a different section. Puzzled and anxious, I kept her just inside my line of sight. When she bought several loaves of bread without saying another word, I chided myself.

_She was just making conversation, Bella, no need to get so worked up._

"Found anything you like?" She looked down at the bag of apple turnovers that I was fingering.

"Umm, yea. I'll take these." I gave a sheepish smile to the lady behind the table.

"I think we have everything, right?" asked Auntie and I nodded, still lost in thought.

At first the walk to the car was silent and I tipped my face to the sun, loving the feel of its warmth. The tension I felt earlier melted away with every step I took. The Auntie spoke.

"So, are you only hanging out with Edward?" Once more, her question came out of nowhere, shocking me out of my little bubble.

I shrugged, not sure what to say. I'd been avoiding giving any real consideration to what was going on between Edward and me. It was only a summer thing with a definite end date. At least that was what I told myself.

"I guess we're friends," I finally replied when the silence got heavy.

"Does he think of you as _just_ a friend?" This time when I looked over at her, she was giving me "the look." You know the one; raised brows, eyes narrowed, and lips in a tight line.

I opened and closed my mouth several times; I had no answer to give her. In fact, I never gave any thought to how Edward would classify things between us. I always assumed that he saw it like I did- a summer thing. We never talked about anything other than what we were going to do on any given day.

"How would I know?" I retorted, defensively. "We're just hanging out," I stated, softening my tone, feeling contrite that I snapped at her. "There is nothing there, Auntie. We're just friends. I'm not ready for anything other more than that," At my words, her brow rose so high it disappeared into her hairline.

"That's what your head wants you to think, dear. But your heart and _his _heart, what do they say? What do they want?" Her words were so kind, but they stung, they hit deep and hard.

"My heart has no say, Auntie. The last time I listened to it, well, that turned to shit didn't it? I think my head will rule this time." My words were sharp, but truthful. I followed my heart with Quil and that became an utter disaster. I wasn't ready to open myself up to even the chance of that kind of pain again. It was too soon.

"You can fool yourself all you want, Bells. But when you do that, even if you think it's to protect yourself, you can still get hurt. Worst of all, you can hurt others as well. I'd hate to see Edward get hurt."

My face scrunched up in confusion. There was no way for him to get hurt. We weren't declaring our undying love. Hell, we weren't in any type of romantic relationship. We were just two people hanging out, going out on a few date like things, and who shared a few kisses. He had to know that once the summer was over, that was it, right? The thought that Edward would want more than that caused panic to swell in the pit of my stomach. I couldn't give him more than the summer.

"No one will get hurt, Auntie. I'm only here for the summer, Edward knows that." It was the only thing I could say and I knew it was the absolute truth.

I saw her shaking her head, her eyes sad and it caused my heart to ache. "That's just your head, baby. Your heart is a whole different matter. That can live somewhere entirely different."

**A/N: *sighs and sniffles* Raise your hand if you love Auntie! She is a wise woman! Don't forget TEASE ME BABY Saturday for teasers of next weeks chapters! PLease leave me some love... I love hearing your thoughts! New chapter on Monday! xoxoxo**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Happy Monday! yea.. I know.. there is no such thing! This is the week.. I hope you like what I have in store.**

**To my ladies: Nikki, Mandi, Dawn and Sandy- kisses for the support. To my lovely beta- pixiekat.. *cracks whip* Get to it! xoxo**

**Enjoy!**

Ch 19

EPOV

"Green."

"Blue."

"GREEN!"

"BLUE!"

"Oh my God, make up your mind will you!" I threw my hands up in the air and glared at my friends. "I thought having fashion sense was part of the gay package." I ran my hand through my hair, already nervous about my pending date with Bella and listening to those two idiots argue over what color shirt I should wear wasn't helping.

"What's the ruckus down here about?" asked Marcus as he popped into my room.

I gestured toward the idiots. "The wonderfully gay duo over there was having a hissy fit over my clothing for tonight. _They_ can't make up their minds." I rolled my eyes and plopped down on my bed.

"The blue will compliment his tan," whined Jake, looking at Marcus hoping he would agree.

"Green, my sweet, it brings out his eyes, which we all know Bella loves," chided Mike.

"I would have to agree with Mike," replied Marcus.

"Fine," I huffed. I snatched the green button down from Mike's fingers. "Now, get the hell out! I want to get dressed without an audience." I ushered everyone out and watched as Marcus made room for Jake and Mike to leave, but refused to vacate my room.

"That meant you as well." I turned my back on him as I pulled my t-shirt over my head. A little more deodorant and a splash of cologne and I slipped on the shirt.

I spied Marcus watching me through the mirror, his casual relaxed stance irritating me for an unknown reason.

"Is there a reason you're watching me get dressed?" I gave him a nasty glare, but he just smirked. Instead of rising to the bait I concentrated on trying to tame my hair, when my hands and brush failed to help, I gave up.

"You really like her, don't you?" I sensed no teasing from him, just a casual observation.

I opened my mouth to disagree, but then I realized why deny it, Marcus would see right through the bullshit.

"Yeah, I do." I sat down hard on my bed and hung my head.

"Why the long face, kid? It should be a good thing that you like her, right?" The bed dipped as he sat next to me.

I exhaled a long breath. It _was_ a good thing that I liked Bella. Hell, I liked her a lot and that was the problem.

"I don't know how she feels, that's the problem. There are moments when I think she is letting go and having fun, and then the next moment I feel as if she's holding me at arm's length. You should've seen her when I first met her Marcus. She looked so sad, there was no light in her eyes, and she looked so tired." I paused as I remembered how she looked that day on the beach. Even with the weary eyes, she looked so beautiful.

"Man, you're in deep," chuckled Marcus.

All I could do was nod.

"Well, as I see it, you can just let things be and hope for the outcome you want or you can take a chance and tell her how you feel."

"Both of those options suck, old man."

His deep laughter made me smile. "True, but then again, nothing worth having is ever easy to get." With those cryptic parting words, he patted my leg and stood up to leave.

As he crossed the threshold he turned back to look at me, his eyes were serious and I was instantly on alert. "Life is too short not to take chances, Edward. Take it from someone knows." Then he was gone and I was left wondering what just happened.

Thirty minutes later I was sitting in my car outside Bella's Aunt and Uncle's house with Marcus' words rolling around in my head. I cursed him for making me think things that I wasn't sure I was ready to think about. Sure what he said about taking chances was right, but it's the unknown that instills fear. What if she didn't feel the same way? Could I handle that?

I wasn't stupid, I knew Bella was only here for the summer, she had her last year of school waiting for her back in New York. But that didn't mean that if something great developed between us that we couldn't find a way to make it work. It also hadn't escaped my attention that Bella never commented on anything more than the summer when talking about us. But that could be attributed to her not knowing how I felt. There was the very real possibility that she wanted things to continue beyond summer.

So that left me with the question, do I take a chance and tell her how I feel or not?

I had no more time to decide as a knock on the car window jolted me from my thoughts. Looking up I saw Bella wearing a beautiful smile and a wicked glint in her eyes.

"The food's inside. I'm not serving you out here." She laughed and I couldn't help but laugh with her. When Bella was happy and joking, it was infectious.

She opened the door and made a wide sweeping gesture with her hands. "Come on in… if you dare."

"With an invitation like that, how can I refuse?"

Another giggle and I was under her spell. There was just something about Bella Swan that captivated me and I realized Marcus was right. I'd be a fool to let her go without even trying.

**A/N: Ohhhh... Edward is sooo smitten... and the question is.. does he tell her how he feels? If he does.. how does Bella react? Thursday will be what you've all been waiting for... the backstory... Until then.. leave me your thoughts and your love. See ya in a few days! xoxo**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Here it is.. the one everyone has been waiting for... Love to my awesome team of ladies Dawn, Nikki, Sandy and Mandi... to pixiekat who weaves beta magic even when I hound her ass! I loves you all!**

**Kleenex warning was suggested... ENJOY!**

Ch 20

BPOV

I stared at Edward, not really believing the words I heard him say. It was as if the Fates had chosen me to pick on and I wasn't amused. The night was going so well. There were no awkward moments between us. It was just so easy to be with Edward. When I brought out dinner he looked as if he hadn't seen food in years. He ate with gusto and it warmed my heart.

So when we decided to sit down by the fireplace to talk, I was relaxed and looking forward to just being with him. Maybe it was the wine? He was drunk and he had no idea what he was saying? Whatever the case, one minute we were having a silly discussion about bad first dates and the very next moment he was telling me that he liked me. A lot. So much so he wanted me to know that he wasn't opposed to seeing where things would go, not only this summer, but beyond.

_FUCK MY LIFE!_

I bolted up from the couch and started to pace. This couldn't be happening to me! I glanced at Edward and the concern I saw on his face nearly crushed me. Instead I used it to bolster my resolve. Things between us could only be for the summer, and Edward needed to know that and fast.

I stopped my frantic pacing and stared into the fire, the dancing flames mesmerized me. They also gave me something to focus on other than Edward's face. I'd crumble if I saw how hurt he would be by my words.

"I like you, Edward. But this can never be more than a summer thing. I can't give you more than that."

"Is there someone waiting for you when you get back to New York?" I relaxed minutely when I heard no anger in his words, even though a part of me felt I deserved it.

I shook my head and grimaced even though he couldn't see it. "No, there's no one." Pain laced each word I spoke at the bitter reminder that I was so very much alone and it was all my fault.

"Then I don't understand, Bella. If there's no one else, what's preventing you from seeing where things could go?"

I turned to face him. His eyes were full of concerned confusion. I pushed back the urge to smooth out his furrowed brow. If I touched him, I wouldn't be able to keep it together.

"I can't give you more than the summer, Edward." I had to say the words again, to make him understand. "I'm just not ready. I don't think I'll ever be ready." I stared deep into his eyes, conveying the truth with my next words. "I'm not whole, Edward. You deserve someone who isn't one giant mess."

His green eyes scanned my face repeatedly, his penetrating gaze felt as if he was peering into my very soul. It was uncomfortable sitting there trapped in his stare, my body fidgeted with a restless need to escape.

"Who hurt you so much to make you feel this way?" he whispered but his words were like a lance in my heart, they wrecked me.

I snorted in derision. "You've got it all wrong, Edward. It was me. I hurt him, so much that it got him killed." I heard his gasp in surprise. Once again I started pacing, my body was a live wire filled with nervous energy that I needed to expel. Words poured from me and for the first time, I didn't want to stop them.

"His name was Quil. We meet January of our sophomore year. He was so funny, charming and a perfect gentleman. We were fast friends and it quickly developed into more. That summer we both stayed in New York and it was a great summer." I could hear the longing in my voice. I chanced a look at Edward who followed my agitated pacing with his eyes.

"Things were very easy between us. We hardly fought, he treated me right. It was nice to share my life with him. But as the weeks turned into months, he started dropping little hints that he wanted to take the next step." I whirled to face Edward. "I wasn't ready, ya know? I was young. I wanted to experience life, not marriage."

Edward gave me a brief nod to show he understood. My pacing and my story continued.

"I brushed him off and buried my head in the sand, figuring that if I didn't acknowledge what he wanted it would go away. Stupid, I know. I guess I didn't want to lose him. But it eventually became apparent that he was serious about marrying me. I panicked. I didn't want to marry him. It was then I realized I didn't love him the way he loved me.

"I put off telling him, the holidays were coming and I thought breaking up with him then would be pretty shitty. I made excuses as to why I couldn't spend the holidays with him, just in case he planned to propose. When I got back, I knew that I couldn't wait any longer." I closed my eyes as that night played in my head. I could still see the pain and anger on his face so clearly.

"He was so mad when I told him. He felt as if I'd led him on. When I pointed out that I never returned his sentiments, he stormed out. It was late, we had been talking for a few hours, both exhausted. I never knew it started to snow."

I was so tired, I collapsed on the rug in front of the fire, not feeling its warmth. Tears coursed down my face but I couldn't be bothered to scrub them away. I looked up at Edward.

"He was driving too fast for the weather; he was angry at me and from what the police said, he never even saw the other car. He died a few days later from extensive internal bleeding. If only I had stopped him from leaving, gotten him to calm down, he wouldn't have died. His only crime was that he loved me, more than I deserved and in return, I stomped on his heart and killed him."

I wound my arms around myself to keep from falling apart as sobs erupted from deep in my soul. In a flash I felt Edward beside me and seconds later I was in his arms. I struggled in his grasp, not wanting to be comforted. The more I struggled, the tighter he held me and then he started to rock us back and forth.

"I just can't put myself in that place again, not right now. I'm sorry." I could hear the guilt in every word I spoke and so did Edward.

"It wasn't your fault Bella. It was a horrible, tragic accident. But there was nothing you could do. If he wanted to leave, that was his choice."

"Don't you dare blame him, Edward," I growled. "He was a decent man, he didn't deserve to die to young."

"I'm not blaming him and you're right he didn't deserve to die. But if there is one thing I do know, life is made up of a million little choices and they can bring us to a million different conclusions. You both had choices that night and the result was a terrible accident. But you are not to blame, not one bit."

I let his words permeate my mind, which swirled with grief and doubt. Everyone around me told me that it wasn't my fault. Even his parents when I confessed it all to them through broken sobs. But I clung to the idea that if I'd just waited or been more aware of what was going on, he wouldn't have been at the wrong place at the wrong time.

"You're not to blame, Bella," whispered Edward as he stroked my hair. "I'd even venture to guess that Quil would tell you the same thing. It was just an awful set of events that spiraled into a tragic ending."

I shifted in his embrace and looked at him through tear-soaked lashes. There was no pity or contempt in his eyes. Instead there was understanding and sympathy.

"Grief does funny things to us, it makes us believe that we're at fault. Even a little six year old boy who didn't understand why his dad was never coming home."

The bindings I'd tied myself in, loosened and I felt the faint stirrings of hope. Edward could understand my pain like no one else, and that was a freeing thought. I acted before I knew what I was doing, but when our lips met, nothing had ever felt so right.

**A/N: I know.. I know... a bit of a cliffie... but... well.. it had to end there...Sooo.. now we all know what happened to Quil, we see why Bella is so hesitant and is insistent on just a summer fling... Question is.. will Edward agree?**

**Don't forget TEASE ME BABY Saturday in my FB group, where you get a teaser for next weeks chapters! Link to the group is on my FF profile!**

**I'm on a mini vaca next week for the kids spring break.. but have no fears.. I'll post on Monday... just not sure when! **

**Now.. let me know your thoughts! See ya later!**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Hello from Wisconsin Dells... anyone want cranky kids? Anywho... I'm posting this before I go lazing away in the lazy river or racing the go-karts... love to my ladies who always make me smile: Sandy, Dawn, Mandy and Nikki and a little extra love fro Pixiekat.. who waved her beta magic...**

**Now.. if I remember.. we left these crazy kids.. by the fire.. and Bella just kissed him... lets see what Edward has to say... ENJOY!**

Ch 21

EPOV

I shouldn't have kissed her back. She had poured her heart out to me, such a sad, sad story. She was in a vulnerable place and I was supposed to be a gentleman. But that was so hard to think about when she was crushing her lips to mine. Her hands tangled in my hair pulling us even closer together. She tasted so sweet and I struggled to hold onto rational thought.

Somehow I wrenched my mouth from hers and pulled back. "Bella," I breathed, hoping for a momentary reprieve from the sensations she caused to course through me.

"What?" she asked with kiss-swollen lips.

"Are you sure? I don't think…" Her fingers on my lips silenced me. The light I loved seeing in her eyes brightened as smirk curved her lips.

"I love that you're trying to be noble. I don't want that right now. Right now I want to be kissing you." With that said, she straddled my lap, her lips were back on mine, and any notion of chivalry flew right out the window. If she wanted to forget her sadness with a little kissing, I was more than willing to oblige.

As Bella tasted and teased me with her kisses, light and then deep, I began to learn the curves I've been longing to feel. Slowly, I trailed my hands from her knees up her thighs to waiting hips. I flexed my hands and pulled her closer. She rocked over my hard dick until we moaned, low and throaty. I helped her as she rocked back and forth, every once in a while I thrust upward hoping like hell I was hitting her clit. The tiny shivers I felt skirt down her spine told me I was pretty spot on.

When I hit a rather sensitive spot, Bella threw her head back and whimpered. My poor cock twitched in its tight confines and the slight pain felt so good. With her slender neck exposed, I sampled her succulent skin. My lips found a spot behind her ear that made her rock faster and the hollow of collarbone was my new favorite place to nibble. I nipped and sucked and then laved her skin with my tongue.

"More, please," begged Bella. Her hands roamed franticly over my shirt, her fingers fumbling with the buttons. If she wanted more, I'd give her more. As I feasted on her neck, my hands slid down her sides, grazing her tits to the hem of her shirt. I pulled away and whipped it off before she could utter a protest.

Luckily for me, there was no protest, just an arch of her back, offering her lace covered breasts for my pleasure. I nuzzled the confined mounds, inhaling her unique scent. My tongue licked a path from one creamy globe to the other and then blew air across them. Goosebumps and low moan erupted from her body.

"Edward," she whined before she cried out in triumph when she finally managed to get my last button undone. She pushed the shirt off my shoulders and I helped her by shrugging out of it. Then it was my turn to groan and shiver as her hot little hands explored every inch of my flesh. When her mouth joined her hands I held onto her for dear life.

"Fuck, Bella, oh God!" Her mouth had found my nipples and she started to flick them with her tiny tongue. Her lips then wrapped around the small nub and sucked. Her teeth scraped as she teased me without pausing.

It was too much sensation; I had to pull her off before I came in my pants. I threaded a hand in her hair and pulled her head back. I melded our mouths again as I worked her bra off, freeing her ample tits. My hands cupped them, kneading them as I savored the weighed of them. Her nipples were already straining and a few casual passes of my thumbs had them hardening even more.

When I lowered my mouth to flick them, it sent Bella in a frenzy. Suddenly, her hands were all over the place, the rocking that had stilled began again in earnest, and her hot little mouth covered all the skin it could find with little kisses and bites. I joined in, the couch was a tangle of limbs, our pants filled the air, and we were mindless in our lust.

The fear I had earlier of jizzing in my pants was tossed away. Her hot pussy was grinding on me like there was no tomorrow, and I couldn't care about anything else. I pinched her nipples, tormenting them which only served to make Bella move faster above me. I could feel the coil in my gut winding tighter and tighter, the tingling grew with each motion made on my aching cock.

I worked hard to make sure Bella got hers and so much more, I wanted overwhelm her senses, to hear cry out as she found her release. So I became relentless in my ministrations. I made sure there wasn't an inch of her body that I wasn't stimulating in some way. Her cries grew with each passing second and I knew that she had to be close. When I felt her slight tremor, I bit down on a nipple and slammed her down hard on my cock and ground her clit hard and fast.

"Fuck!" she cried out as her body trembled. Her eyes rolled back and her movement became erratic. Seeing her let go was my undoing, I pumped my hips up and hit the warm spot on her pants.

"Shit," was the only warning I gave her before my throbbing cock erupted in my pants. We rocked and rolled our hips as we rode out our orgasms, our breaths mingled as we gasped for air.

When the last shiver rolled over her body, she slumped in my arms. I wrapped her up, wanting the closeness as much as she did.

"Thank you," she panted into my neck.

I nuzzled her back. "It was my pleasure, Bella."

As we sat there in the dimming light of the fire, I told myself that I'd honor Bella's request that things between us would be a summer thing only. I had a feeling it would kill me to do so, but, it was the least I could do to help her heal her shattered heart. As for my heart, I'd worry about that later… much later.

**A/N: *fans self* Did ya like that little hint of lime? So.. I cant wait to see what you all think about Edward agreeing to it being a summer fling... I will reply to your reviews.. they just may be slow... but hit me with your thoughts... Please? Till Thursday!**


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